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The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan, the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America

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The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan, the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America (Hardcover)

by Russell Shorto (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

US List Price:	$29.95
UK Equivalent:	�20.14
Price:	�18.28 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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9 new from �12.97 8 used from �12.95

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Product details

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Doubleday Books; 1 edition (April 2004)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0385503490
ISBN-13: 978-0385503495
Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 16.4 x 3.1 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 582,045 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ponderous, 4 May 2006

By	George Boyd (Inverness, Scotland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America (Paperback)

This book is good, let's be fair about that. Well-researched and thorough, it is packed on every page with historic detail. But that makes it a bit heavy - like reading a thesis. The information clouded the true path of the book, to tell the story of New York's Manhattan. I still enjoyed the book, but would have preferred if it had been less onerous but without being too fluffy (ie airport book). As it was, I had to put the book down frequently until my brain cooled down with all the information!

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5.0 out of 5 stars As engrossing as a novel, 8 Jun 2009

By	William Gallagher "william_gallagher" (England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America (Paperback)

I know everyone's different, I know you say potato and I say tomato, so of course I'm not criticising the reviewer who called this ponderous but I couldn't disagree more if I had money riding on it. It's a genuinely new account, a fresh view on what made New York the city it is today.

Sometimes the Dutch colony it describes seems so alien that you can't imagine it ever becoming the Manhattan we know and then there'll be a passage where you can vividly see a straight line from today right back to the decisions the first settlers made.

As for ponderous, I suppose it does have a great deal to cover but it didn't seem so to me. And I was won by the introduction, which ends with the simplest yet most evocative imagery of Henry Hudson's ship appearing on the horizon.

I adored this book and I'm only here, I only saw the negative review, because I was coming on to see what else author Russell Shorto has written. I'm glad I stopped by, I hope you buy the book and that you love it as much as I do.

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