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De geboorte van New York: Hoe het Nederlandse Manhattan in Engelse handen kwam
In De geboorte van New York beschrijft Russell Shorto met verve hoe Nederland de macht over Nieuw-Amsterdam verloor. Hij laat zien dat dit niet, zoals veel mensen denken, het resultaat was van een militaire overname door de Engelsen, maar dat van een onwaarschijnlijke samenwerking tussen de twee rivaliserende staten. Zo werd de kiem gelegd voor de wereldstad New York.
In 1664 droomde Engeland van een Noord-Amerikaans imperium en maakte het plannen om Nieuw-Amsterdam met geweld in te nemen. Maar vlak voor het tot een confrontatie kwam tussen de Engelsen en gouverneur Peter Stuyvesant, die de leiding had op Manhattan, veranderde de strategie. De overname van de stad kwam tot stand door slimme onderhandelingen, die leidden tot een samensmelting van de Nederlandse pluriforme en kapitalistische samenleving met de macht van het opkomende Engelse rijk.
De ontstaansgeschiedenis van New York is geënt op geweld tegen de inheemse bevolking en het begin van slavernij in Amerika. Tegelijkertijd is het een buitengewoon verhaal over de wijze waarop twee botsende naties samen een nieuwe stad voortbrachten.
In 1664 droomde Engeland van een Noord-Amerikaans imperium en maakte het plannen om Nieuw-Amsterdam met geweld in te nemen. Maar vlak voor het tot een confrontatie kwam tussen de Engelsen en gouverneur Peter Stuyvesant, die de leiding had op Manhattan, veranderde de strategie. De overname van de stad kwam tot stand door slimme onderhandelingen, die leidden tot een samensmelting van de Nederlandse pluriforme en kapitalistische samenleving met de macht van het opkomende Engelse rijk.
De ontstaansgeschiedenis van New York is geënt op geweld tegen de inheemse bevolking en het begin van slavernij in Amerika. Tegelijkertijd is het een buitengewoon verhaal over de wijze waarop twee botsende naties samen een nieuwe stad voortbrachten.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2025
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About the author
Russell Shorto
40 books510 followersRussell Shorto is the author, most recently, of Revolution Song, a new narrative of the American Revolution, which the New York Times called a "remarkable" achievement and the Chicago Tribune described as "an engaging piece of historical detective work and narrative craft." He is also the author of The Island at the Center of the World, a national bestseller about the Dutch founding of New York. Shorto is senior scholar at the New Netherland Institute and was formerly the director of the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
January 2, 2025
I usually am wary of sequels to anything. If something is that good, just leave it alone! That said, there are obvious situations where even my skeptical brain realizes a follow up would be a home run. And yes, I am talking about books.
The Island at the Center of the World is a classic from 2004. Russell Shorto told the story of New Amsterdam before it became New York. It was detailed but accessible. Now, Shorto has gone ahead and told the story about what happened when the English showed up in Taking Manhattan. Spoiler, it became New York! Well, except for a super short little episode later on, but I digress. Shorto elaborates on all the details, agendas, but most importantly, the personalities that clashed when a few English boats showed up in what would become New York Harbor.
Shorto has a tone throughout the book which feels like a conversation. It felt like a guy sat down next to me at a bar and over a few beers he decided to tell me all about Richard Nicolls, Peter Stuyvesant, and a king or two. Don't get me wrong, this work is scholarly and the narrative is peppered with scholars weighing in especially when the historical record is silent on exactly what happened.
The gripes I had while reading was a few background stories carried on a bit longer than necessary. Specifically, Nicolls actions during the English Civil War dragged and the details weren't needed to fully flesh out Nicolls. Shorto already did a good job explaining who he was and what drove him. I also think there are some extrapolations which other scholars may want to take issue with, but neither of these things should warn anyone away from the book. It's a great read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and W. W. Norton and Company.)
The Island at the Center of the World is a classic from 2004. Russell Shorto told the story of New Amsterdam before it became New York. It was detailed but accessible. Now, Shorto has gone ahead and told the story about what happened when the English showed up in Taking Manhattan. Spoiler, it became New York! Well, except for a super short little episode later on, but I digress. Shorto elaborates on all the details, agendas, but most importantly, the personalities that clashed when a few English boats showed up in what would become New York Harbor.
Shorto has a tone throughout the book which feels like a conversation. It felt like a guy sat down next to me at a bar and over a few beers he decided to tell me all about Richard Nicolls, Peter Stuyvesant, and a king or two. Don't get me wrong, this work is scholarly and the narrative is peppered with scholars weighing in especially when the historical record is silent on exactly what happened.
The gripes I had while reading was a few background stories carried on a bit longer than necessary. Specifically, Nicolls actions during the English Civil War dragged and the details weren't needed to fully flesh out Nicolls. Shorto already did a good job explaining who he was and what drove him. I also think there are some extrapolations which other scholars may want to take issue with, but neither of these things should warn anyone away from the book. It's a great read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and W. W. Norton and Company.)
July 12, 2025
I do not know why Shorto wrote this book. His excellent prior work, The Island at the Center of the World, covers much of the same ground and is a far superior read. Taking Manhattan did include a lot of information on the political situation in England and Holland that formed the background for the handover of New Amsterdam to the English. But, I did not find that this material added much to the story.
May 9, 2025
This book tells the origin story of New York City and how it evolved from the original Dutch town of New Amsterdam. I read Shorto’s book, The Island at the Center of the World, back in 2005 and found it interesting, so when I saw this book with expanded coverage on the same subject by the same author I knew I wanted to see what information it had. This book takes advantage of recently translated material from the archives of that time to tell about the lives of certain individuals from all sides including English, Dutch, indigenous natives, and African.
Significant emphasis is given by the book to the establishment of the Dutch Colony that extended beyond Manhattan Island up the Hudson River and into present day New Jersey. Of special interest was the story of Catalijntje Trico who at the age of eighteen arrived in 1624 among the first shiploads of European settlers to the area. She gave birth to the first European child born in the colony and subsequently raised eleven children. Forty years later in 1664 when the British took possession of the area she was fifty-nine, probably the longest residing inhabitant, and with dozens of her grandchildren living in the region. One interesting detail about her I found of interest was that many of the first inhabitants sent to the colony were not native Dutch but rather were Walloons: French-speaking Protestants from northern France. Amsterdam was a prospering city at the time in the middle of the Dutch golden age and few Dutch had any incentive to set out on a new adventure to the undeveloped North American colony.
Another interesting story is that of Dorothea Angola. The book speculates that she arrived in New Amsterdam enslaved, possibly in 1627. She married and had children, and in 1644, her husband petitioned for and was granted the couple’s freedom. Soon after, they were given a six-acre tract to farm in the area of what today is Greenwich Village. Another incident related to slavery that I found of interest was that during the negotiations as to whether to surrender to the British, some former slaves who had been promised their freedom requested that the paperwork indicating their new status by provided so that it would be clear to the British when they took over.
Another interesting story is that of the female Native American named Quashawam who was leader of the Montaukett tribe located in Long Island. She had apparently inherited her leadership position after her father’s death. She at one point had offered to ally with the Dutch but later sided with the British.
The background stories to the two principal leaders, Richard Nicolls for the British and Peter Stuyvesant for the Dutch West India Company, are also covered by this book. It is apparent from the lenient details of the negotiated settlement that Nicolls very much wanted to achieve control of the new colony without damaging the existing improvements that the Dutch had made. The terms allowed the existing City Council to continue in the roles of running the City and trade with and ships to and from the Netherlands could continue. The terms were so generous they couldn’t be rejected. Stuyvesant and his contingent of professional solders wanted to fight as a matter of pride, but the population of the city and surrounding area wanted a peaceful solution.
What the British inherited when they gained New Amsterdam, renamed New York, was a polyglot population with a tradition of accepting and living with a variety of religions and ethnicities. That set the tone for the region which was not necessarily a British preference at the time. But over time these pluralistic ways of thinking influenced all thirteen of the British colonies and eventually the creation of the United States.
Significant emphasis is given by the book to the establishment of the Dutch Colony that extended beyond Manhattan Island up the Hudson River and into present day New Jersey. Of special interest was the story of Catalijntje Trico who at the age of eighteen arrived in 1624 among the first shiploads of European settlers to the area. She gave birth to the first European child born in the colony and subsequently raised eleven children. Forty years later in 1664 when the British took possession of the area she was fifty-nine, probably the longest residing inhabitant, and with dozens of her grandchildren living in the region. One interesting detail about her I found of interest was that many of the first inhabitants sent to the colony were not native Dutch but rather were Walloons: French-speaking Protestants from northern France. Amsterdam was a prospering city at the time in the middle of the Dutch golden age and few Dutch had any incentive to set out on a new adventure to the undeveloped North American colony.
Another interesting story is that of Dorothea Angola. The book speculates that she arrived in New Amsterdam enslaved, possibly in 1627. She married and had children, and in 1644, her husband petitioned for and was granted the couple’s freedom. Soon after, they were given a six-acre tract to farm in the area of what today is Greenwich Village. Another incident related to slavery that I found of interest was that during the negotiations as to whether to surrender to the British, some former slaves who had been promised their freedom requested that the paperwork indicating their new status by provided so that it would be clear to the British when they took over.
Another interesting story is that of the female Native American named Quashawam who was leader of the Montaukett tribe located in Long Island. She had apparently inherited her leadership position after her father’s death. She at one point had offered to ally with the Dutch but later sided with the British.
The background stories to the two principal leaders, Richard Nicolls for the British and Peter Stuyvesant for the Dutch West India Company, are also covered by this book. It is apparent from the lenient details of the negotiated settlement that Nicolls very much wanted to achieve control of the new colony without damaging the existing improvements that the Dutch had made. The terms allowed the existing City Council to continue in the roles of running the City and trade with and ships to and from the Netherlands could continue. The terms were so generous they couldn’t be rejected. Stuyvesant and his contingent of professional solders wanted to fight as a matter of pride, but the population of the city and surrounding area wanted a peaceful solution.
What the British inherited when they gained New Amsterdam, renamed New York, was a polyglot population with a tradition of accepting and living with a variety of religions and ethnicities. That set the tone for the region which was not necessarily a British preference at the time. But over time these pluralistic ways of thinking influenced all thirteen of the British colonies and eventually the creation of the United States.
February 2, 2026
I still remember driving with a Polish colleague to one of our work locations in Haarlem, a Dutch city near Amsterdam. As we passed the city sign, he remarked, “Oh, Haarlem—this must be named after the New York suburb.”
"No, it's the other way around." I answered.
It just shows how the world has forgotten how New York started. Russel Shorto tries to remedy this amnesia by showing how the English takeover wasn't that obvious or even unavoidable. Instead he presents a story that shows how it wasn't that certain, especially in a moment where rivalling empires, ambitoius indivduals and political chaos came together.
It is exactly those factors that made we really like this book. In my eyes, Shorto excels in connecting the New Amsterdam events with the broader political developments. The political turmoil in England, where the Stuarts were just restored after the Cromwell reign and wanted to build an overseas empire in order to create legitimacy. New Netherlands was just the stage where the monarchy could reassess itself.
And then the individuals. There is Peter Stuyvesant (of course...) but also Richard Nicolls, a man I need to admin I never heard of (shame) but whose life Russel Shorto skillfully relates without turning the story into a simple tale of "great man", but he uses them to focuss the narative against the background of the competition between the Dutch and English empires, their economic rivalries and religious tensions.
One of the strongest chapters sets the events of 1664 in a broader context. Shorto shows that English hostility toward the Dutch had its roots far beyond North America: envy shaped the conflict and therefore the peaceful handover of Manhattan becomes even more remarkable. The peaceful transfer had its effects that continued well into the seventeenth century.
For anyone interested in early American history this books gives a lot of clarity. It works very well because Shorto manages to show how the transfer of ownership could have worked the other way if needed. I mean, the Dutch managed to retake New York a couple of years later, but then again traded it against the colony of Surinam ... perhaps the worst trade in history?
Read in Dutch
"No, it's the other way around." I answered.
It just shows how the world has forgotten how New York started. Russel Shorto tries to remedy this amnesia by showing how the English takeover wasn't that obvious or even unavoidable. Instead he presents a story that shows how it wasn't that certain, especially in a moment where rivalling empires, ambitoius indivduals and political chaos came together.
It is exactly those factors that made we really like this book. In my eyes, Shorto excels in connecting the New Amsterdam events with the broader political developments. The political turmoil in England, where the Stuarts were just restored after the Cromwell reign and wanted to build an overseas empire in order to create legitimacy. New Netherlands was just the stage where the monarchy could reassess itself.
And then the individuals. There is Peter Stuyvesant (of course...) but also Richard Nicolls, a man I need to admin I never heard of (shame) but whose life Russel Shorto skillfully relates without turning the story into a simple tale of "great man", but he uses them to focuss the narative against the background of the competition between the Dutch and English empires, their economic rivalries and religious tensions.
One of the strongest chapters sets the events of 1664 in a broader context. Shorto shows that English hostility toward the Dutch had its roots far beyond North America: envy shaped the conflict and therefore the peaceful handover of Manhattan becomes even more remarkable. The peaceful transfer had its effects that continued well into the seventeenth century.
For anyone interested in early American history this books gives a lot of clarity. It works very well because Shorto manages to show how the transfer of ownership could have worked the other way if needed. I mean, the Dutch managed to retake New York a couple of years later, but then again traded it against the colony of Surinam ... perhaps the worst trade in history?
Read in Dutch
March 9, 2025
This describes the showdown between 2 imperialist nations over the city that eventually became New York City. The Dutch swiped the land from the Native Americans and built a thriving, diverse bastion of commerce. And the British were jealous so they sent troops to take the city which they considered rightfully theirs. (They actually considered everything as far as the Pacific theirs by virtue of having set foot on the Atlantic coast, but that is the way imperialists think.)
The book was an interesting description of life in Manhattan at that time, the class structure and the way the businesses (including the slave trade) operated. There was a little too much speculation about what the characters were feeling for my taste. But I did enjoy reading about what they actually did and the negotiations over the city.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher. The audiobook was narrated by the author. His narration was so slow that I had to speed it up to 2.5 to make it listenable. But once I did that it was OK.
The book was an interesting description of life in Manhattan at that time, the class structure and the way the businesses (including the slave trade) operated. There was a little too much speculation about what the characters were feeling for my taste. But I did enjoy reading about what they actually did and the negotiations over the city.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher. The audiobook was narrated by the author. His narration was so slow that I had to speed it up to 2.5 to make it listenable. But once I did that it was OK.
April 22, 2025
Years ago I bought “The Island at the Center of the World” by Russell Shorto and immensely enjoyed it. After visiting several places in the US that have Dutch history, including New York City, my love for this niche piece of history increased. Last month I got to meet Shorto in Amsterdam and it fanned the flame of my excitement over the topic. It was wonderful to quench my curiosity with this new book, which focuses on the transition from New Amsterdam to New York, when the English took control of the colony. Though it does have a rich build-up too and gives a lot of context and backstory. I enjoyed it immensely.
I have stood in Battery Park, reading the Dutch text on the Netherland Monument, marveling over the long misunderstood Manhattan Purchase. Just as mind-boggling to me was the fact that the Dutch later gave up their colony to the English. I knew there was tension in the area and the Brits formed a threat, but I had never fully understood why the Dutch gave up New Netherlands. After reading this book I have a bit of better grasp on it, though some of it still remains fuzzy. While much documentation was preserved and Shorto does a great job conveying and interpreting the information, some details and motives are forever lost to history.
The book is written in an engaging way. I learned a lot from this very detailed book. It was also incredible to realize once again how influential and powerful —for better or worse— my tiny country used to be in the world. Speaking of the “for worse” part, I thought Shorto did a great job pointing out where the Europeans had harmed other people (natives and African slaves) while shaping their colonies.
4 stars. If you aren’t interested in the topic, you won’t like this book. But if you are…it’s a gold mine!
I have stood in Battery Park, reading the Dutch text on the Netherland Monument, marveling over the long misunderstood Manhattan Purchase. Just as mind-boggling to me was the fact that the Dutch later gave up their colony to the English. I knew there was tension in the area and the Brits formed a threat, but I had never fully understood why the Dutch gave up New Netherlands. After reading this book I have a bit of better grasp on it, though some of it still remains fuzzy. While much documentation was preserved and Shorto does a great job conveying and interpreting the information, some details and motives are forever lost to history.
The book is written in an engaging way. I learned a lot from this very detailed book. It was also incredible to realize once again how influential and powerful —for better or worse— my tiny country used to be in the world. Speaking of the “for worse” part, I thought Shorto did a great job pointing out where the Europeans had harmed other people (natives and African slaves) while shaping their colonies.
4 stars. If you aren’t interested in the topic, you won’t like this book. But if you are…it’s a gold mine!
May 14, 2025
I don’t often abandon books that I begin reading, especially when I am as interested in the topic as I am in this one. Glowing praises and reviews on the inside and back cover along with the prologue had me looking forward to a book written by a real researcher and historian. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this historian’s statement that Henry VIII “died without a male heir” and that his daughter Queen Elizabeth I succeeded him on the throne. He obviously didn’t know or care to mention that Henry’s young son Edward VI had the throne for six years, followed by Jane Grey for 9 days and then Mary I for five years. And THEN Queen Elizabeth I took the throne. Three pages later the author claimed that England’s rejection of Catholicism was a result of “church leaders” who wanted to rid Christianity of rituals and abuses that the popes had built up. It’s really common knowledge that the rejection of Catholicism was Henry’s thwarted desire for an annulment of marriage from his first wife Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn. The first “shortcut” on facts was almost excusable but the second error discredited this author in my eyes. No wonder the New York Times calls his work “astonishing.” I may scan some of the later pages in the book but am otherwise finished.
April 16, 2025
Very cool history of nyc but could have been told in 100 fewer pages
March 29, 2025
Originally, I was only mildly interested in the topic of this book, but it turned out to be a fascinating piece of history. It was written so effectively that it often felt more like reading fiction than non-fiction.
“Taking Manhattan” tells the story of how the Dutch colony, New Netherland, became the English colony, New York. Many history books are written in a removed, impersonal tone, but this book is different. The reader learns about the events by exploring the individual experiences of actual people who took part in them.
The diverse and surprising cast of characters include:
-A formerly enslaved, but later freed property owning African woman
-A Jewish man from Lithuania who fought for his own and his fellow Jewish immigrants rights in the colony
-A Native American woman who was a tribal chief
-The imposing, peg-leg toting Dutch governor
-The English colonel and boyhood friend of James, the Duke of York who led the British invasion
-and many more!
Another thing that makes “Taking Manhattan” so engaging and fiction-like is the author’s frequent quotes from sources written by the people at the time. At best, most history books are written like a fiction book with the dialogue taken out. But the quotes in “Taking Manhattan” bring the history to life, like dialogue in a good book. I have never read another history book that uses as many quotations or used them as well as in this book. I can’t wait to read more history books by this author!
I listened to the audio version of this book and the author did the narration. He isn’t a professional narrator, but he did a good job. The production and audio quality were good.
Thanks to RBmedia through NetGalley who allowed me to listen to the audio version of this book.
“Taking Manhattan” tells the story of how the Dutch colony, New Netherland, became the English colony, New York. Many history books are written in a removed, impersonal tone, but this book is different. The reader learns about the events by exploring the individual experiences of actual people who took part in them.
The diverse and surprising cast of characters include:
-A formerly enslaved, but later freed property owning African woman
-A Jewish man from Lithuania who fought for his own and his fellow Jewish immigrants rights in the colony
-A Native American woman who was a tribal chief
-The imposing, peg-leg toting Dutch governor
-The English colonel and boyhood friend of James, the Duke of York who led the British invasion
-and many more!
Another thing that makes “Taking Manhattan” so engaging and fiction-like is the author’s frequent quotes from sources written by the people at the time. At best, most history books are written like a fiction book with the dialogue taken out. But the quotes in “Taking Manhattan” bring the history to life, like dialogue in a good book. I have never read another history book that uses as many quotations or used them as well as in this book. I can’t wait to read more history books by this author!
I listened to the audio version of this book and the author did the narration. He isn’t a professional narrator, but he did a good job. The production and audio quality were good.
Thanks to RBmedia through NetGalley who allowed me to listen to the audio version of this book.
March 16, 2025
This is a compelling narrative about the early history of New York. Shorto's writing is compelling and conversational and the story is absolutely interesting and worth telling. The narrative sty;e reminds me of Colin Woodard, which I certainly mean as a high compliment. I have read a lot of history of this era, but most of the New York story was new to me and I'm definitely interested in reading Shorto's prior book about the Dutch colony that predated the English invasion of New Amsterdam.
Unfortunately, I listened to this on audio and I didn't find the author's reading to be particularly effective. His delivery was flat enough that I often found myself having to re-listen to portions to pay attention, I'm an auditory learner and I listen to a lot of non-fiction books (maybe 70 or 80 last year) and haven't had this issue with any other books in recent memory. I would have switched to the written version if I hadn't been on an ARC and I suspect I would have gotten through it much more quickly and retained more.
I'm giving the book 4 stars, but I have to recommend that interested parties read rather than listen to this book.
Thank you to RB Audio for an advance listening copy for unbiased review.
Unfortunately, I listened to this on audio and I didn't find the author's reading to be particularly effective. His delivery was flat enough that I often found myself having to re-listen to portions to pay attention, I'm an auditory learner and I listen to a lot of non-fiction books (maybe 70 or 80 last year) and haven't had this issue with any other books in recent memory. I would have switched to the written version if I hadn't been on an ARC and I suspect I would have gotten through it much more quickly and retained more.
I'm giving the book 4 stars, but I have to recommend that interested parties read rather than listen to this book.
Thank you to RB Audio for an advance listening copy for unbiased review.
June 4, 2025
More like 4.7. Very readable history of how the British, more exactly the Duke of York, got the Dutch colony of New Netherland, starting with a basic history of New Netherland including mostly on its capital city New Amsterdam, and the negotiation between Peter Stuyvesant and Richard Nicoll giving Britain that colony. Present-day NJ and part of PA were once included. Having lived in Upstate NY for decades, this book was certainly an eye-opener for me.
June 19, 2025
New York has always been New York, though they had way more interesting-looking pants back then.
June 28, 2025
Good, but probably 30 pages or so too long. Shorto repeated a few major themes almost as nauseam. The Island at the Center of the World is his better book on colonial New Netherlands/New York.
October 27, 2025
Lively and very accessible account of the background, personalities, details of the transfer of power of the island of Manhattan from the Dutch to the English. If you are interested in details of the lives of not only the major players in this era but also a view into the lives of the general population of the area and the surrounding communities, this book will be what you’re looking for. Also, good maps flesh out the details.
August 23, 2025
A worthy sequel to the excellent “The Island at the Center of the World”, this book is an entertaining and in-depth look at the political machinations between the English and the Dutch that created the business-like and polyglot New York as contrasted with the puritanical and lame Boston. Thus laying the groundwork for the storied Yankees/Red Sox rivalry that began 250 years later.
March 10, 2025
I have not read Shorto’s first book on the Dutch settlement of NY, but this book was excellent! I am from the Hudson River Valley and am constantly in Kingston - so learning more about the history all the way from NYC to Albany is always a great addition. I know some of the basics from school and field trips, but Shorto did a great job keeping the book interesting, full of knowledge, and conversational.
Highly recommend this for all your US history geek friends, NY history geek friends, or really, anyone. I will be following up with his first book shortly!
Highly recommend this for all your US history geek friends, NY history geek friends, or really, anyone. I will be following up with his first book shortly!
April 3, 2025
This is a really interesting and well-told history of the background of the moment when New Amsterdam was shifted under British rule. Mr. Shorto does a nice job of relating how this city developed on a different trajectory from other cities, and also the rather great differences in Dutch rule there versus English rule there. One glaring error in the book--on pages 71-72, it states that Henry VIII of England died without a male heir, but his son Edward VI succeeded him on the throne.
April 5, 2025
I found this book informative and entertaining. It tells the story of the changeover of the New Amsterdam colony from Dutch to English hands through the point of view of both European and Indigenous perspectives.
However, there is a glaring historical error on page 72 regarding King Henry VIIIs succession. Henry did have a male heir upon his death, King Edward VI. His daughter Mary also ascended the throne before Elizabeth I. Better editing and fact checking is needed from both the author and publisher. Unfortunately the error the leads me to question the research methodology and accuracy of other parts of the book.
However, there is a glaring historical error on page 72 regarding King Henry VIIIs succession. Henry did have a male heir upon his death, King Edward VI. His daughter Mary also ascended the throne before Elizabeth I. Better editing and fact checking is needed from both the author and publisher. Unfortunately the error the leads me to question the research methodology and accuracy of other parts of the book.
April 29, 2025
Started just fine and had good pacing throughout the first half, then it went downward quickly. Felt like a rushjob, the compulsory modern themes that had to be included made a disappointment.
October 29, 2025
This book was a Gaithersburg Book Festival discovery - not something I would normally think to read, but the author gave a fascinating talk that really sold me (and I got a signed copy). I was not disappointed. This book is an in-depth examination of (as the title says) an extraordinary event - the taking of Manhattan by the English from the Dutch with no shots fired and no casualties, founding the colony of New York. Shorto helps us get to know the two major players involved, Peter Stuyvesant and Richard Nicholls, both of whom were eager to avoid completely destroying the city the Dutch had built. The English were intrigued by the Dutch settlement, in which free flowing commerce and (relative) religious tolerance reigned, in stark contrast to the theocratic Puritan Massachusetts colony. The English wanted to preserve what the Dutch had created, and learn how to do it themselves to build their own Empire. This was the point (mid 17th century) at which the balance of world power was tipping from the Dutch to the English, and also the era of the Restoration in Britain, when Charles II returned to the throne. Shorto writes a lot about this period in English history, in part to explain the Puritans but mainly because it shaped Nicholls, who was a Royalist and loyal supporter of the king's brother James, the Duke of York (hence the new name).
Shorto's prose is engaging and lively, whether he is filling in the details of life in New Amsterdam or Cromwell's England. This is an absorbing account of a major historical event which laid the foundation for the modern day city we know.
Shorto's prose is engaging and lively, whether he is filling in the details of life in New Amsterdam or Cromwell's England. This is an absorbing account of a major historical event which laid the foundation for the modern day city we know.
August 21, 2025
I had read Shorto's previous book, the Island at the Center of the World, which was about Dutch Manhattan, so I was looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. This book focuses on the changeover from New Amsterdam to New York, led by the principal actors, Peter Stuyvesant and Richard Nicolls. It's an interesting event, in that it was a peaceful transfer of ownership, instead of a bloody event, due to both main characters not wanting the city to be destroyed in battle. The book speaks of the uniqueness of New York, it's cosmopolitan nature and relative tolerance for its time. I like the balanced approach Shorto took to the discussion of slavery in this book. Unfortunately, it's a huge part of the story as Stuyvesant and the Dutch were just getting into the slave trade at this time, and the English happily continued it for the next century and a half. But Shorto took the time to acknowledge the horrors of slavery while also framing it against the times and realizing that it's not completely fair to just overlay our morality onto the past. Overall, a good book, well written, easy to read.
October 1, 2025
This book offers some insightful assessments of the character of the middle colonies and their influence on the political world of early America. While his assessment of the influence of the Dutch on early America is quite compelling and told in an engaging manner, the connections to contemporary politics are at best weak. He is correct to name the possibility of the influence of this political culture on future political cultures, but overstates the connection as he concludes. A number of great connections between the politics of this region and early America and made. I commend him on including indigenous voices in the telling of the story. I really appreciated the role of the enslaved in shaping this particular era. Overall, I found this an interesting recounting of the story. Well worth the time to read.
February 14, 2026
I didn’t read the description of the book closely enough and thought this would be more about the Indigenous Peoples of the land that is now New York City. Still it was an interesting book with a lot of information about the British Stuarts and the transition of New York from a Dutch colony to a British territory. The history of slavery in the area was an important part of the narrative. Extremely well researched and a good audiobook read by the author as long as you increase the speed as he reads very slowly.
March 21, 2025
Taking Manhattan is the fascinating story of New York City in the early days of colonization - what happened between the Dutch and the English to ultimately create New York and the city we know today. The author is also a renowned historian and creator of The New Amsterdam Project, and he brings exhaustive research to this book. I learned so much about Peter Stuyvesant, a name all New Yorkers will recognize but may not be familiar with, as well as other famous early residents of the city. This part of New York's history is rarely covered in much detail, and this book fills that gap. I listened to the audio version and felt the narration was a bit awkward. I had to speed it up significantly to not be distracted by the stilted delivery, but with that modification, I was able to get past it.
May 9, 2025
This was a terrific book about New York before and after it became New York. I lived in New York City and Long Island for many years, yet this book gave me a deeper understanding of the city. I had previously read, many years ago, "The Island at the Center of the World", the author's first book about Dutch Manhattan, and enjoyed it very much, also. Russell Shorto is a wonderful writer and Historian, and I would recommend his books to everyone!
July 20, 2025
Russell Shorto tells this European origins story of NYC in a compelling way while acknowledging at every turn the native Americans living there “check to jowls “ with their new uninvited greedy new neighbors. I found this story intriguing and it left me anxious to read the next installment of Mr Shorto - as I feel he has more to tell about NYC.
August 12, 2025
Stunning piece of New York history and how it became the most multi cultural metropolis of the world. It an amazing juxtaposition of European colonial and imperial ambitions, tragedy of the Native American tribes and the first seeds of Slavery in USA. A must read for every New Yorkers and all who have come to love and cherish this vibrant city.
May 15, 2025
Excellent and well written historical narrative on the 'invention' of New York; a product of unique Dutch cultural and economic traits, merging itself into the sprawling British Empire post 1664. The very distinct way it did so, and the retaining of its fundamental pluralist character as part of its terms of surrender, Shorto convincingly argues, laid the way for New York to become the city it is today.
Highly appreciative of the work by Shorto on the Dutch history in North America. It is a colorful history with an incredible amount of records available, yet one that is not often considered by either contemporary Americans, or indeed the Dutch themselves (in large part due to being consciously overshadowed by the Anglo-American historical tradition). I hope this work can contribute to a shift in awareness, as it has certainly done for me.
Highly appreciative of the work by Shorto on the Dutch history in North America. It is a colorful history with an incredible amount of records available, yet one that is not often considered by either contemporary Americans, or indeed the Dutch themselves (in large part due to being consciously overshadowed by the Anglo-American historical tradition). I hope this work can contribute to a shift in awareness, as it has certainly done for me.
April 17, 2025
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September 14, 2025
The content of this book, the transitional period going from Dutch to English colonial rule of New York, is worth exploring. As a native New Yorker, I am drawn to anything that adds to my understanding of our great city.
However, subject-matter intrigue alone is not enough to get through a text. There are other histories and renditions to choose from. This text is quite poorly written. It is not so much that the quality of the prose is missing the mark (which it is), but I was actually stunned by Shorto’s weak use of grammar. For example, he uses stylistic sentence fragments too much. There are paragraph-long lists of people or items that he iterates over. He abruptly throws in a period, and then follows with that same list continuing. It’s a bit of a middle-school essay level error. He does things like that everywhere, it makes me feel like an accountant.
Shorto also writes this book in an annoying narrative form. Just give me the facts—those are fascinating enough.
In summary, this one felt like it was written to maximize the amount of words in order to get as large of a paycheck from the publisher as possible.
However, subject-matter intrigue alone is not enough to get through a text. There are other histories and renditions to choose from. This text is quite poorly written. It is not so much that the quality of the prose is missing the mark (which it is), but I was actually stunned by Shorto’s weak use of grammar. For example, he uses stylistic sentence fragments too much. There are paragraph-long lists of people or items that he iterates over. He abruptly throws in a period, and then follows with that same list continuing. It’s a bit of a middle-school essay level error. He does things like that everywhere, it makes me feel like an accountant.
Shorto also writes this book in an annoying narrative form. Just give me the facts—those are fascinating enough.
In summary, this one felt like it was written to maximize the amount of words in order to get as large of a paycheck from the publisher as possible.
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