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New York 1609
Welcome to New York City, 1609.
When a Native American (Lenape) boy joins Henry Hudson's expedition up the river that now bears his name, the fearless and visionary--and misunderstood--Dancing Fish doesn't realize his entire world and way of life are in peril. Enthralled at first by these strangers, he begins to discover their dark and dangerous side, touching off a decades-long struggle against determined explorers, aggressive traders, land-hungry settlers, and ruthless officials. If his own people are to survive, the boy-turned-man must use his wits, build alliances, and draw on unique skills to block the rising tide of the white "salt people."
Ambition and fear, love and loathing, mutual respect and open contempt bring Europeans and "savages" together in the untold story of the founding of New York City and the fabled island at its heart: Manhattan.
If you have a passion for the historical fiction of Ken Follett, James Michener, or Edward Rutherfurd, you'll savor this rich and meticulously researched novel.
A novel based on true events.
(This Omnibus Edition includes updated and revised versions of the four short ebooks in The Manhattan Series plus new added content.)
When a Native American (Lenape) boy joins Henry Hudson's expedition up the river that now bears his name, the fearless and visionary--and misunderstood--Dancing Fish doesn't realize his entire world and way of life are in peril. Enthralled at first by these strangers, he begins to discover their dark and dangerous side, touching off a decades-long struggle against determined explorers, aggressive traders, land-hungry settlers, and ruthless officials. If his own people are to survive, the boy-turned-man must use his wits, build alliances, and draw on unique skills to block the rising tide of the white "salt people."
Ambition and fear, love and loathing, mutual respect and open contempt bring Europeans and "savages" together in the untold story of the founding of New York City and the fabled island at its heart: Manhattan.
If you have a passion for the historical fiction of Ken Follett, James Michener, or Edward Rutherfurd, you'll savor this rich and meticulously researched novel.
A novel based on true events.
(This Omnibus Edition includes updated and revised versions of the four short ebooks in The Manhattan Series plus new added content.)
- GenresHistorical Fiction
579 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2018
About the author
Harald Johnson
21 books14 followersHarald Johnson is an author of both fiction and nonfiction, a publisher, and a lifelong swimmer—who actually swam nonstop around New York’s Manhattan island. His debut novel (NEW YORK 1609, 2018) was the first-ever to explore the birth of New York City (and Manhattan) from its earliest beginnings. He followed that with the three books of the NEANDER time-travel trilogy (2019, 2020, 2021), and then the modern suspense thriller EL NORTE (2022). THE TWILIGHTS is his sixth novel (and twelfth book).
Harald lives with his wife deep in the woods of central Virginia.
Harald lives with his wife deep in the woods of central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 22, 2023
This really is historical fiction at its best!
December 14, 2020
Colonisation
New York 1609: A Historical Novel (Omnibus Edition) is a collection of 4 novellas, each covering the following 4 time periods i) 1609 ii) 1612-13 iii) 1625-26 iv) 1640-44, and each chronicling the stages of European colonisation of Mannahatta Island and its surrounding area. As a complete set of novels, they form an incredibly visual and epic story of a changing native culture. The novel is about family, friends, society and our coexistence with nature and how different people value what the Earth provides. It illustrates the struggle with freedom, survival, beliefs, learning, greed, and an erosion of natural skills and identity. Harald Johnson tells the story primarily from the perspective of the Native American Indian, accepting that much is already written from the settler’s point of view.
To bring a sense of the time and place to a historical era, Harald Johnson vividly tells a fictional story of a young Manahate Indian, Dancing Fish, (part of the Lenape people who occupied the area known today as New York). He experiences the growing involvement and occupation of Europeans on his ancestral home. The natural flow of native people through the seasons is destructively upset never to return. In North America, this came with the demise of many Indian tribes and traditions.
On September 3, 1609, Henry Hudson sailed his ship, the Half Moon, into a bay and after anchoring, is greeted by naturals that come alongside his ship in their canoes to trade oysters and tobacco for knives and glass beads. Following the further engagement, Dancing Fish is selected by his tribe to accompany Hudson up-river, (the river that’s now named after him), as they attempt to find a new route to Russia. During his travels with Hudson, Dancing Fish sees the adventure and capability of these white men but also witnesses their greed, dishonesty and brutality.
Dancing Fish is a fabulously drawn character who is quite unique, even within his own tribe; a dreamer, an inventor, a thinker and a natural leader. He develops a close relationship with his mentor, Owl, and asks him if he will play a part in dealing with these white strangers. “You will play the most important part of all.” he says.
The story passes through periods when the traders started to arrive and trade knives, kettles and other tools for furs and tobacco. One particular trader injured and left behind during the winter, Claude Boucher, is to have a massive impact on Dancing Fish not only teaching him the Dutch and English languages but leaving a legacy and realisation that not all whites are evil. Traders give way to settlers and the inevitable conflict materialises.
Harald Johnson tackles various deeper issues in his novel with such a balanced and complementary approach that the entertaining story is never compromised. Many native cultures had such a spiritual connection with nature where it thrived and co-existed. With our progress and consumption exceeding what nature can provide, we kill to the point of extinction, we permanently destroy forests and we harm nature with pollution. What started in 1625 in this book could not be more evident than it is in today’s world.
This is a fascinating story that took my imagination on a wonderful excursion and never seemed to slow in its telling. But it is so much more, it is an exposé of how we dealt and continue to deal with cultures we have physical supremacy over and how we treat nature with greed and over-indulgence. Ultimately we can look at New York and wonder "How did we get here?"
This is a wonderful mixture of historical fact and fiction, expertly written. I would highly recommend this book and I feel a sense of loss now that it's finished.
Additional Information:
Search for Mannahatta Project on TED for a wonderful presentation by Eric Sanderson.
New York 1609: A Historical Novel (Omnibus Edition) is a collection of 4 novellas, each covering the following 4 time periods i) 1609 ii) 1612-13 iii) 1625-26 iv) 1640-44, and each chronicling the stages of European colonisation of Mannahatta Island and its surrounding area. As a complete set of novels, they form an incredibly visual and epic story of a changing native culture. The novel is about family, friends, society and our coexistence with nature and how different people value what the Earth provides. It illustrates the struggle with freedom, survival, beliefs, learning, greed, and an erosion of natural skills and identity. Harald Johnson tells the story primarily from the perspective of the Native American Indian, accepting that much is already written from the settler’s point of view.
To bring a sense of the time and place to a historical era, Harald Johnson vividly tells a fictional story of a young Manahate Indian, Dancing Fish, (part of the Lenape people who occupied the area known today as New York). He experiences the growing involvement and occupation of Europeans on his ancestral home. The natural flow of native people through the seasons is destructively upset never to return. In North America, this came with the demise of many Indian tribes and traditions.
On September 3, 1609, Henry Hudson sailed his ship, the Half Moon, into a bay and after anchoring, is greeted by naturals that come alongside his ship in their canoes to trade oysters and tobacco for knives and glass beads. Following the further engagement, Dancing Fish is selected by his tribe to accompany Hudson up-river, (the river that’s now named after him), as they attempt to find a new route to Russia. During his travels with Hudson, Dancing Fish sees the adventure and capability of these white men but also witnesses their greed, dishonesty and brutality.
“He knew now that the Souls of both prophets of the Fourth Fire had been on the ship. Good and evil. Light and darkness. Hudson and Joo-et were the two sides of the prophecy. Hudson was curiosity and open-mindedness. Joo-et was anger and hatred. Both sides had competed with each other, and both had influenced Dancing Fish in their own ways.”
Dancing Fish is a fabulously drawn character who is quite unique, even within his own tribe; a dreamer, an inventor, a thinker and a natural leader. He develops a close relationship with his mentor, Owl, and asks him if he will play a part in dealing with these white strangers. “You will play the most important part of all.” he says.
The story passes through periods when the traders started to arrive and trade knives, kettles and other tools for furs and tobacco. One particular trader injured and left behind during the winter, Claude Boucher, is to have a massive impact on Dancing Fish not only teaching him the Dutch and English languages but leaving a legacy and realisation that not all whites are evil. Traders give way to settlers and the inevitable conflict materialises.
Harald Johnson tackles various deeper issues in his novel with such a balanced and complementary approach that the entertaining story is never compromised. Many native cultures had such a spiritual connection with nature where it thrived and co-existed. With our progress and consumption exceeding what nature can provide, we kill to the point of extinction, we permanently destroy forests and we harm nature with pollution. What started in 1625 in this book could not be more evident than it is in today’s world.
This is a fascinating story that took my imagination on a wonderful excursion and never seemed to slow in its telling. But it is so much more, it is an exposé of how we dealt and continue to deal with cultures we have physical supremacy over and how we treat nature with greed and over-indulgence. Ultimately we can look at New York and wonder "How did we get here?"
This is a wonderful mixture of historical fact and fiction, expertly written. I would highly recommend this book and I feel a sense of loss now that it's finished.
Additional Information:
Search for Mannahatta Project on TED for a wonderful presentation by Eric Sanderson.
June 13, 2018
Johnson’s writing is smooth, and this book is filled with well-developed characters and page-turning action. It tells the story of the European settlement of Manhattan from Henry Hudson’s exploration of the Hudson River to when the native population, depleted by disease and failed attempts to defend themselves, were forced to leave. I especially enjoyed the description of the Dutch settlement, a crude and miserable attempt in Johnson’s portrayal, with many of the Dutch more interested in making and consuming alcohol than building a new colony. I also thought the book captured the complexity of the Indians’ response to the Europeans, as they hunted more and more of the fur animals to trade for the new steel tools, and some of them became too fond of the Europeans’ alcohol. I’m sure it’s true that they didn’t know what to do about these newcomers, at first amused by their ignorance and assuming they wouldn’t stay, then understandably appreciative of their tools. And since some of the tribes were warring with other tribes, the natives couldn’t respond in a unified way. I’m also sure they didn’t understand what the Dutch meant when they talked about purchasing the island. In fact, I wondered why the Dutch bothered to “purchase” it until I realized this probably had more to do with establishing their claim in the eyes of the British and the French than with their relationship to the natives.
I was less persuaded by some of the parts about the native population, and the story is told mostly from their point of view. Johnson was forced to rely on his imagination in regard to these parts since the natives of that time had only an oral tradition, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. I believe he followed historical sources whenever he could. But I felt he gave these people some anachronistic ideas about such things as conservation, and some of the plot has to do with a rivalry between two of the young men, which I just found less interesting than the historical rivalry between the natives and the Dutch.
This book combines the four novellas of Johnson’s Manhattan series, but he’s added a prologue that you might call the origin story of his primary point of view character, Dancing Fish. The prologue serves to unite the four novellas and gives New York 1609 more of the shape of a novel. But here I will say that Dancing Fish bothered me. He’s a fictional character, of course, but he’s also an unlikely character for the times. I’m sure there were Indian kids who had some European ancestry, dating from the arrival of the first European traders, but for Dancing Fish, somehow his European grandfather has given him unusual abilities to invent tools, learn European languages, and have ideas that challenge his tribe’s traditions. Maybe Johnson felt a character who sort of straddled both cultures would give a deeper perspective, but I struggled with Dancing Fish’s unique powers that he’d supposedly acquired through genetics.
That said, this is an entertaining book that takes the reader back to when Manhattan Island was largely forested with only one small fort, a few small farms, and a native population that was struggling to deal with the challenge of these new people.
I was less persuaded by some of the parts about the native population, and the story is told mostly from their point of view. Johnson was forced to rely on his imagination in regard to these parts since the natives of that time had only an oral tradition, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. I believe he followed historical sources whenever he could. But I felt he gave these people some anachronistic ideas about such things as conservation, and some of the plot has to do with a rivalry between two of the young men, which I just found less interesting than the historical rivalry between the natives and the Dutch.
This book combines the four novellas of Johnson’s Manhattan series, but he’s added a prologue that you might call the origin story of his primary point of view character, Dancing Fish. The prologue serves to unite the four novellas and gives New York 1609 more of the shape of a novel. But here I will say that Dancing Fish bothered me. He’s a fictional character, of course, but he’s also an unlikely character for the times. I’m sure there were Indian kids who had some European ancestry, dating from the arrival of the first European traders, but for Dancing Fish, somehow his European grandfather has given him unusual abilities to invent tools, learn European languages, and have ideas that challenge his tribe’s traditions. Maybe Johnson felt a character who sort of straddled both cultures would give a deeper perspective, but I struggled with Dancing Fish’s unique powers that he’d supposedly acquired through genetics.
That said, this is an entertaining book that takes the reader back to when Manhattan Island was largely forested with only one small fort, a few small farms, and a native population that was struggling to deal with the challenge of these new people.
June 11, 2019
I reviewed this via an ARC from the author, for Rosie Amber's Book Review Team. The fact that it was free has not affected the honesty of this review.
A terrific novel, telling of the 'discovery' of Manhattan Island by Henry Hudson, and the beginning of the callous and careless ruination of the Native American way of life.
The main character is the part-white Dancing Fish, who believes he is gifted with insight into the ways of the 'visitors' from the east. The story starts in 1609 and moves, through four parts, through to the 1640s, as gradually the Manahate and other tribes are pushed out of their land; the book tells, also, of how they begin to take on the ways of the white man, and become less self-sufficient, something that saddens Dancing Fish.
This is a long book, but at no time did it feel over-written or padded out. It seems like a foreshadowing of many years to come, as the greed and cunning of the 'civilised' treads into the ground and destroys a culture that had existed, successfully, for hundreds of years; indeed, it makes one question the meaning of the word 'civilised'. Only once or twice did we see the Europeans' respect for the natives' affinity with the land, in Henry Hudson, in Boucher, an early explorer who was left behind by his party, and Marie, his daughter.
In the latter part of the story, the settlers' treatment of the natives is unbelievably brutal, sickening and heartbreaking, made worse because you know that all this and more really happened. But the ending is not without hope; Johnson's characters have a wisdom far beyond most of their enemies.
Johnson finishes with notes, in brief, about what happened afterwards, and explains which parts of his story have their grounding in fact. Highly recommended.
A terrific novel, telling of the 'discovery' of Manhattan Island by Henry Hudson, and the beginning of the callous and careless ruination of the Native American way of life.
The main character is the part-white Dancing Fish, who believes he is gifted with insight into the ways of the 'visitors' from the east. The story starts in 1609 and moves, through four parts, through to the 1640s, as gradually the Manahate and other tribes are pushed out of their land; the book tells, also, of how they begin to take on the ways of the white man, and become less self-sufficient, something that saddens Dancing Fish.
This is a long book, but at no time did it feel over-written or padded out. It seems like a foreshadowing of many years to come, as the greed and cunning of the 'civilised' treads into the ground and destroys a culture that had existed, successfully, for hundreds of years; indeed, it makes one question the meaning of the word 'civilised'. Only once or twice did we see the Europeans' respect for the natives' affinity with the land, in Henry Hudson, in Boucher, an early explorer who was left behind by his party, and Marie, his daughter.
In the latter part of the story, the settlers' treatment of the natives is unbelievably brutal, sickening and heartbreaking, made worse because you know that all this and more really happened. But the ending is not without hope; Johnson's characters have a wisdom far beyond most of their enemies.
Johnson finishes with notes, in brief, about what happened afterwards, and explains which parts of his story have their grounding in fact. Highly recommended.
May 19, 2019
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Summary:
This novel tells the story of the birth of New York, from its early days in 1609 and the arrival of Henry Hudson on the river that now bears his name, to the emergence and consolidation of the Dutch in the late 1640’s.
It is told, in the third person, primarily from the point of view of Dancing Fish, a young native in 1609 whose grandfather was white.
This is an omnibus edition, with the different stages being 1609, 1612-13, 1625-26, and 1640-44.
This Omnibus Edition includes updated and revised versions of the four short ebooks in The Manhattan Series plus new added content. It’s the most complete version of the story (based on true events).
Main Characters:
Dancing Fish: Orphaned aged about eight, he never feels fully accepted by his tribe, the Manahate. He has visions, and struggles to find his place. However, he grows in strength and presence as he gets older. He invents ways to do things faster, or more efficiently, and slowly his ideas get adopted.
High Limb: Dancing Fish’s great rival, for power in the tribe and for Willow. He grows into a powerful warrior.
Marie Boucher: Wife to deadbeat Jakob, she is a Walloon woman who from poor beginnings grows to wealth.
Minor Characters:
Willow: Love interest of both Dancing Fish and High Limb, she becomes the epitome of native women, strong and resourceful.
Plot:
We open with the rescue of the young Dancing Fish, as his parents are drowned in a raging river. Fast forward five years, and the young boy is the first to spot Henry Hudson, as Hudson discovers the mighty bay and river. Initially in awe of these “Spirits” or “Salt People”, the restless boy (with the agreement of his Sechem or Chief) travels upriver with the Europeans, ostensibly to guide them, but also to learn their language and ways.
His mentor, Owl, tasks him with discovering whether these people will be good or bad for his people, in accordance with an old prophecy. This is a question that plagues him for the rest of his life.
On this journey, and the longer he spends with them, he realises they are not god-like. He sees they have great technology, but are also morally and behaviourally less than his own people.
The natives take more time and care over the prophecies, and initially do not think these Salt People are much of a threat. Theirs is a complex and considered response to the newcomers, and alas as we know a fateful one. We get a great insight into how these societies worked, with a thread of open discussion, mutual respect and honesty running through it. On both the European and Native side there are some superb characterisations, and the characters are fully realised human beings with all the flaws and strengths.
We also get a feel for the relatively simple (to us) life of a young native, fishing, hunting, and playing. It was of course a hard life, with bouts of food shortage, inter-tribal conflict, and the possibility of being mauled by a bear, etc., but there is an affinity with the land that was integral to their way of life, and speaks to a deep appreciation of and respect for the earth, which we are only truly re-discovering now.
As the years pass, more traders come, and the natives become more experienced in dealing with them. However, the tribes are greatly reduced by the effects of Fever (we know now it was smallpox and other diseases). The two young tribesmen (Dancing Fish and High Limb) watch on as their clan is devastated, and High Limb learns trading lessons from the White Man that stays with him for life.
They also find Claude Boucher, abandoned feared lost by his shipmates, who through that winter comes to share fully in their life. In return, he teaches Dancing Fish Dutch, English and French, and the rudiments of writing. This skill comes in very useful as the novel progresses, as the traders begin to put down roots on the island Mannahatta. We see how the natives begin to get seduced by the Salt People’s goods, kettles, and knives, and how they begin dipping their toes into trade, eventually exploiting the white man’s love for tobacco, and in turn being exploited for their love of the Fire Drink.
We follow the evolution of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, from its abject beginnings as effectively a shanty town, to one which was building a fort, and a stone Town Hall. The filth, grime and grubbiness of this is starkly contrasted with the semi-nomadic way of life of the natives, who largely are cleaner, more adapted to the environment conditions, and completely self-sufficient.
Into the last section of the omnibus, we see that the growing numbers of settlers leads to an imbalance in the relationship, and the first of the infamous land purchases and treaties are signed. This leads to what could have been an avoidable outcome, of war and hostilities between the two cultures. Dancing Fish and High Limb are leaders in this fight, but also have their own inter-tribal difficulties, with other stronger tribes now preying on the enforced weakness of the Manahate. Through his intelligence and inventiveness, and with some help from Marie, Dancing Fish is able to stave off total disaster, but there are consequences for him and his people, which play out until the very end of the novel.
What I Liked:
- It was very well written, very easy to read, and the world-building was impressive.
- The level of research is extensive, and the author fills in the obvious gaps (the Manahate had only oral traditions) believably.
- The characterisation was very well done, and I felt I was actually in their world, as if it were living history.
What I Didn’t Like:
- There was very little about this story that didn’t appeal.
Overall:
A thoroughly good read, with lively engaging characters, clever blending of real and fictional personages, a strong historical narrative, and some excellent plot twistings throughout. I really enjoyed this entertaining book, and recommend it.
Acknowledgements:
I received a free .mobi of this book through Rosie’s Book Review Team, in return for an honest and objective review.
Summary:
This novel tells the story of the birth of New York, from its early days in 1609 and the arrival of Henry Hudson on the river that now bears his name, to the emergence and consolidation of the Dutch in the late 1640’s.
It is told, in the third person, primarily from the point of view of Dancing Fish, a young native in 1609 whose grandfather was white.
This is an omnibus edition, with the different stages being 1609, 1612-13, 1625-26, and 1640-44.
This Omnibus Edition includes updated and revised versions of the four short ebooks in The Manhattan Series plus new added content. It’s the most complete version of the story (based on true events).
Main Characters:
Dancing Fish: Orphaned aged about eight, he never feels fully accepted by his tribe, the Manahate. He has visions, and struggles to find his place. However, he grows in strength and presence as he gets older. He invents ways to do things faster, or more efficiently, and slowly his ideas get adopted.
High Limb: Dancing Fish’s great rival, for power in the tribe and for Willow. He grows into a powerful warrior.
Marie Boucher: Wife to deadbeat Jakob, she is a Walloon woman who from poor beginnings grows to wealth.
Minor Characters:
Willow: Love interest of both Dancing Fish and High Limb, she becomes the epitome of native women, strong and resourceful.
Plot:
We open with the rescue of the young Dancing Fish, as his parents are drowned in a raging river. Fast forward five years, and the young boy is the first to spot Henry Hudson, as Hudson discovers the mighty bay and river. Initially in awe of these “Spirits” or “Salt People”, the restless boy (with the agreement of his Sechem or Chief) travels upriver with the Europeans, ostensibly to guide them, but also to learn their language and ways.
His mentor, Owl, tasks him with discovering whether these people will be good or bad for his people, in accordance with an old prophecy. This is a question that plagues him for the rest of his life.
On this journey, and the longer he spends with them, he realises they are not god-like. He sees they have great technology, but are also morally and behaviourally less than his own people.
The natives take more time and care over the prophecies, and initially do not think these Salt People are much of a threat. Theirs is a complex and considered response to the newcomers, and alas as we know a fateful one. We get a great insight into how these societies worked, with a thread of open discussion, mutual respect and honesty running through it. On both the European and Native side there are some superb characterisations, and the characters are fully realised human beings with all the flaws and strengths.
We also get a feel for the relatively simple (to us) life of a young native, fishing, hunting, and playing. It was of course a hard life, with bouts of food shortage, inter-tribal conflict, and the possibility of being mauled by a bear, etc., but there is an affinity with the land that was integral to their way of life, and speaks to a deep appreciation of and respect for the earth, which we are only truly re-discovering now.
As the years pass, more traders come, and the natives become more experienced in dealing with them. However, the tribes are greatly reduced by the effects of Fever (we know now it was smallpox and other diseases). The two young tribesmen (Dancing Fish and High Limb) watch on as their clan is devastated, and High Limb learns trading lessons from the White Man that stays with him for life.
They also find Claude Boucher, abandoned feared lost by his shipmates, who through that winter comes to share fully in their life. In return, he teaches Dancing Fish Dutch, English and French, and the rudiments of writing. This skill comes in very useful as the novel progresses, as the traders begin to put down roots on the island Mannahatta. We see how the natives begin to get seduced by the Salt People’s goods, kettles, and knives, and how they begin dipping their toes into trade, eventually exploiting the white man’s love for tobacco, and in turn being exploited for their love of the Fire Drink.
We follow the evolution of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, from its abject beginnings as effectively a shanty town, to one which was building a fort, and a stone Town Hall. The filth, grime and grubbiness of this is starkly contrasted with the semi-nomadic way of life of the natives, who largely are cleaner, more adapted to the environment conditions, and completely self-sufficient.
Into the last section of the omnibus, we see that the growing numbers of settlers leads to an imbalance in the relationship, and the first of the infamous land purchases and treaties are signed. This leads to what could have been an avoidable outcome, of war and hostilities between the two cultures. Dancing Fish and High Limb are leaders in this fight, but also have their own inter-tribal difficulties, with other stronger tribes now preying on the enforced weakness of the Manahate. Through his intelligence and inventiveness, and with some help from Marie, Dancing Fish is able to stave off total disaster, but there are consequences for him and his people, which play out until the very end of the novel.
What I Liked:
- It was very well written, very easy to read, and the world-building was impressive.
- The level of research is extensive, and the author fills in the obvious gaps (the Manahate had only oral traditions) believably.
- The characterisation was very well done, and I felt I was actually in their world, as if it were living history.
What I Didn’t Like:
- There was very little about this story that didn’t appeal.
Overall:
A thoroughly good read, with lively engaging characters, clever blending of real and fictional personages, a strong historical narrative, and some excellent plot twistings throughout. I really enjoyed this entertaining book, and recommend it.
Acknowledgements:
I received a free .mobi of this book through Rosie’s Book Review Team, in return for an honest and objective review.
June 18, 2020
I absolutely loved these novellas! They are so well written and I instantly connected with all the characters. I was sad to see the story come to an end. Well done!
July 19, 2023
This is dramatic historical fiction at its best.
Rich with details and packed with action and adventure, there is also a poignant and sad retelling of the native tribes of New York and some compelling narrative of them as they struggled to first befriend and later defend their beliefs, customs, and lands against the incursion of Dutch settlers in the 17th century.
I can see how the slow narrative broadens and explores the deep culture of the various tribes and bands as they face off with a stronger and more developed culture of colonial expansion and occupation. In spite of all they found and all they were given to thrive and survive in a new and often hostile world, the settlers were determined at all costs to take from but not return to the natives whom they found here living in relatively peaceful coexistence for centuries. Whites brought disease, filth, hate, greed, and an overwhelming sense of entitlement to their settling and conquering incursions no matter where in the world they seemed to discover. In European societies and cultures many times the aggressors appeared as similarly developed and cultured as the victims of their conquering forces and yet millions more were subsumed and overtaken by superior forces. Society has always been more rewarding to and congratulatory of might and power over honesty, integrity and the peaceful coexistence of people.
This book was an eye opener for me given the unique point of view from those who struggled mightily to continue their way of life and their societal standards in spite of eventually overwhelming strength of numbers of oppressors.
As is true today we as humans all have great ideas and skills we can share with others but we have always needed to do so respectfully and with diplomacy rather than hate, fear, and degradation.
I am moved by this foray into a way of life so different from what we think we have today, but what still what remains to be the one constant in our human evolution. It seems we shall never learn from the past and as philosophers and gifted people down the ages have often stated, we will never learn, therefore we will always be doomed to sad, sorry repetition.
I'm starting the next volume of this amazing author's work right now. I highly recommend his riveting and compelling retelling of our sometimes victorious but always ignored costs of human society and what appears to be our eventual end.
Dark days indeed. Reading a masterful work such as this might still bring some small shred of hope to a lost and tragic existence.
Rich with details and packed with action and adventure, there is also a poignant and sad retelling of the native tribes of New York and some compelling narrative of them as they struggled to first befriend and later defend their beliefs, customs, and lands against the incursion of Dutch settlers in the 17th century.
I can see how the slow narrative broadens and explores the deep culture of the various tribes and bands as they face off with a stronger and more developed culture of colonial expansion and occupation. In spite of all they found and all they were given to thrive and survive in a new and often hostile world, the settlers were determined at all costs to take from but not return to the natives whom they found here living in relatively peaceful coexistence for centuries. Whites brought disease, filth, hate, greed, and an overwhelming sense of entitlement to their settling and conquering incursions no matter where in the world they seemed to discover. In European societies and cultures many times the aggressors appeared as similarly developed and cultured as the victims of their conquering forces and yet millions more were subsumed and overtaken by superior forces. Society has always been more rewarding to and congratulatory of might and power over honesty, integrity and the peaceful coexistence of people.
This book was an eye opener for me given the unique point of view from those who struggled mightily to continue their way of life and their societal standards in spite of eventually overwhelming strength of numbers of oppressors.
As is true today we as humans all have great ideas and skills we can share with others but we have always needed to do so respectfully and with diplomacy rather than hate, fear, and degradation.
I am moved by this foray into a way of life so different from what we think we have today, but what still what remains to be the one constant in our human evolution. It seems we shall never learn from the past and as philosophers and gifted people down the ages have often stated, we will never learn, therefore we will always be doomed to sad, sorry repetition.
I'm starting the next volume of this amazing author's work right now. I highly recommend his riveting and compelling retelling of our sometimes victorious but always ignored costs of human society and what appears to be our eventual end.
Dark days indeed. Reading a masterful work such as this might still bring some small shred of hope to a lost and tragic existence.
August 1, 2018
I started 1609 nearly a year ago, enjoyed it from the beginning, but (as seems to be habit with me, A.D.D.?) set it down unfinished. Anyhow I wanted a Kindle read for a plane trip this past week and fired up Harald's 1609 again. And found it to be an enjoyable, easy read from beginning (again) to end. I'm impressed by the amount of hard work - research the author has put into his effort, which he documents in an equally well written postscript, So here we are : 400 hundred years after Hudson "discovered" Manhattan a modern New Yorker, Donald Trump, seems to be taking on the world. I'll be reading the next three of Harald's novellas, I'm curious to see how White Guys Take Manhattan turns out, I'm guessing it's not looking great for Dancing Fish and his people. Trump vs. the World, we'll be watching that one play out too, seems like history teaches that "the times" are always scary for somebody. And now I have the print version of 1609, a consolidated version of Johnson's "Trilogy + 1". Author Harald is a swim mentor of mine, he's been trying to straighten out my crappy free style for 10 years now. His attachment to Manhattan is personal and real, yes, he actually did win a "Swim Around Manhattan" competition a few years back. In this new consolidated version Harald and his editing team have polished the original work into a tome that our neighbor Grisham would be proud of. His writing is clean, polished and enjoyable, it's an interesting look back at a Manhattan and a people so far removed from that of 2018 that it could easily escape our thoughts and imagination. But this is not just a work of fiction: I've enjoyed watching the huge amount of research, writing, and publishing effort that went into this project. Well done!
June 13, 2018
I've thoroughly enjoyed the four books (or parts) that make up this Omnibus Edition of New York 1609. I always feel instantly transported to the magical island of "Mannahatta" when I read the fictional, yet very believable, accounts of the many characters in the stories. I've compiled comments for the first three books below, and I am still reading Book 4 (1640).
Book/Part 1: 1609: As someone who loves history (and to a lesser extent, historical fiction) I found this book to be both educational and thought-provoking. The author's use of descriptive phrases about the weather, water, wind, beverages, etc. had me feeling like I was on Manhattan island 400+ years ago with the native indian people, and in a sailing ship exploring "new" territory that of course, had been discovered probably thousands of years earlier by those who lived off the land. It's sad to think of the plight of those who lost their land, and this book goes into that as well.
I think that the author's experience as a swimmer, as he mentions at the end of the book, as well as the many books and other resources he consulted before writing the book, help give it a feeling of being actual history, without referencing too many facts, and instead focusing on the story and characters.
Book/Part 2: 1612: Once again, Harald Johnson has taken us back in time and delivered a story that brings us front and center into a culture rarely explored by western authors. I especially like how the author paints a picture of characters in just a few words or sentences, but in ways that really bring them to life. This book has more plot twists than the first, and I look forward to what intrigue is unveiled in the next book!
Book/Part 3: 1625: This is the third book of this series, and without giving away too much, the author packed this one with a lot more action (and some surprises). I especially like how pictures are painted by the author in just a few words that bring the characters to life. He also doesn't waste time on most scenes; a lot happens during this installment and I look forward to the next one!
Book/Part 4: 1640: As I read the last book in this Omnibus edition, the author really brings to life the characters in ways that make me feel as though I am witnessing the start of a concerted attempt of western European powers to take what they want from who they want with little thought about the native peoples.
Book/Part 1: 1609: As someone who loves history (and to a lesser extent, historical fiction) I found this book to be both educational and thought-provoking. The author's use of descriptive phrases about the weather, water, wind, beverages, etc. had me feeling like I was on Manhattan island 400+ years ago with the native indian people, and in a sailing ship exploring "new" territory that of course, had been discovered probably thousands of years earlier by those who lived off the land. It's sad to think of the plight of those who lost their land, and this book goes into that as well.
I think that the author's experience as a swimmer, as he mentions at the end of the book, as well as the many books and other resources he consulted before writing the book, help give it a feeling of being actual history, without referencing too many facts, and instead focusing on the story and characters.
Book/Part 2: 1612: Once again, Harald Johnson has taken us back in time and delivered a story that brings us front and center into a culture rarely explored by western authors. I especially like how the author paints a picture of characters in just a few words or sentences, but in ways that really bring them to life. This book has more plot twists than the first, and I look forward to what intrigue is unveiled in the next book!
Book/Part 3: 1625: This is the third book of this series, and without giving away too much, the author packed this one with a lot more action (and some surprises). I especially like how pictures are painted by the author in just a few words that bring the characters to life. He also doesn't waste time on most scenes; a lot happens during this installment and I look forward to the next one!
Book/Part 4: 1640: As I read the last book in this Omnibus edition, the author really brings to life the characters in ways that make me feel as though I am witnessing the start of a concerted attempt of western European powers to take what they want from who they want with little thought about the native peoples.
July 11, 2018
I would think an author would feel hemmed-in by history, you can’t change the ending and (talk about a spoiler-alert) everyone knows it already. But, with “New York 1609” author Harald Johnson proves its not the destination, but the journey that counts. History has already provided an amazing story, so what Harald does is to people the story with characters and situations that allow readers to feel that they know and have, to a degree, experienced that history. In particular, after reading 1609 I have a deepened “feeling” for the basic clash of culture, religion and vision concerning one’s place in nature that was in operation between divergent people simply trying to live as they know best. Just exactly what is “survival” or “progress?” Is the forest “better” left alone extracting from it only what is needed at the time or is it meant to be cut down and shaped into many “wonderful” products and structures. This is one of the basic conflicts that lead into the violence and struggle making up this history we already know but now, through Johnson’s novelization, can experience and feel...from both sides. One has to admire the degree of research that the author has done for us and the depth of imagination required to render that research into a lively and accessible tale of two worlds on a collision course. In the end, the fact that this story is, to a great degree, real history makes reading “New York 1609” a rewarding experience that is quite relevant to today’s situations in which differing cultural viewpoints attempt to mesh. The combined book is an enjoyable read full of both historical and human insight.
June 30, 2018
Historical Fiction at its Best!
The expanded omnibus edition of this amazing work of historical fiction portrays the collision of two worlds from Henry Hudson’s “discovery of Manhattan” and the river that bears his name in 1609 through the decades that follow. With almost a half century scope, Mr. Johnson brings to life characters and events leading to the foundation of New York City on the ruins of the Native American tribes who called it home before first contact. Notwithstanding that arc, the author manages to find some hope for mankind as it learns its lessons along its rocky road to the future. Highly recommended, AND there’s no other book I’ve found that chronicles this formative period in history!
The expanded omnibus edition of this amazing work of historical fiction portrays the collision of two worlds from Henry Hudson’s “discovery of Manhattan” and the river that bears his name in 1609 through the decades that follow. With almost a half century scope, Mr. Johnson brings to life characters and events leading to the foundation of New York City on the ruins of the Native American tribes who called it home before first contact. Notwithstanding that arc, the author manages to find some hope for mankind as it learns its lessons along its rocky road to the future. Highly recommended, AND there’s no other book I’ve found that chronicles this formative period in history!
August 17, 2020
A powerful story of the. Indigenous people of Manhattan!
This is a rich work of historical indigenous people. It invoked thoughts of another, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. They are very different but just as powerful in the telling of how ruthlessly the original dwellers of America were killed and dispossessed. Johnson takes great care to give an accurate depiction of true characters and events. The reader identifies with the Indians but also the motives of the Europeans. In other words , we have met the enemy and he is us! The story moves along well but starts to slow about half way through. I think about 50 to 100 pages could be edited and the telling would still be as effective.
This is a rich work of historical indigenous people. It invoked thoughts of another, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. They are very different but just as powerful in the telling of how ruthlessly the original dwellers of America were killed and dispossessed. Johnson takes great care to give an accurate depiction of true characters and events. The reader identifies with the Indians but also the motives of the Europeans. In other words , we have met the enemy and he is us! The story moves along well but starts to slow about half way through. I think about 50 to 100 pages could be edited and the telling would still be as effective.
July 11, 2018
This book tells the story of the Native American Manahate band and its relationship with the first white European explorers, traders, and settlers over a period of 35 years in what is now Manhattan. The two main characters are fictional young natives learning to deal with the encroaching white men in different ways. As the story progresses, the relationship between the natives and the Europeans goes from welcoming to warring. The author clearly did a great deal of careful research into the history of the times, the characteristics of the people, and the geography of the area giving the book a real sense of the time and the people who lived in it. A good read.
September 26, 2018
Although I initially was concerned that the book’s 555-pages would be overwritten and boring, I am pleased to report that I was right to crack it open and read! Harald Johnson has written a gripping and exciting tale of early to mid-17th century history. Like any historical fiction work, New York 1609 is comprised of real and fictitious characters and events and all are presented in an even-handed way, warts and all. I especially appreciated the sympathetic way in which Johnson presented his Native American characters. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the beginnings of New York City and heartily recommend it to all who relish adventure in an historical setting.
June 13, 2018
Super RICH stories and very very interesting!
These stories tell in great detail and SUSPENSE, not only the highs and lows of the characters, but the development of UR-New-York and the indigenous American tribes.
A review cannot go into the depth necessary, but suffice to say, this series is like "THE TRILOGY" of Historic Fiction -- good stuff all around!
These stories tell in great detail and SUSPENSE, not only the highs and lows of the characters, but the development of UR-New-York and the indigenous American tribes.
A review cannot go into the depth necessary, but suffice to say, this series is like "THE TRILOGY" of Historic Fiction -- good stuff all around!
August 16, 2019
Enjoyed this and learning more about the Native Americans
Enjoyed reading this account of the beginning of what is now New York City. Was also surprised to find one of my very distant grandfathers with in the storyline. I am going to have to try to read more about Everardus Bogardus.
Enjoyed reading this account of the beginning of what is now New York City. Was also surprised to find one of my very distant grandfathers with in the storyline. I am going to have to try to read more about Everardus Bogardus.
July 28, 2018
Well written and well documented epic story! ….. Immense source of food for thoughts and inspiration as the immigration debate is gaining momentum around the world …. Impossible to look at New York City the same after reading this amazing book
July 29, 2019
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The characters are well drawn, and interesting, as is the entire novel, while the author does not shy away from tackling various ‘political’ issues with a fair-minded balanced approach."
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The characters are well drawn, and interesting, as is the entire novel, while the author does not shy away from tackling various ‘political’ issues with a fair-minded balanced approach."
November 7, 2020
Deeply interesting and balanced read
I enjoyed the book so much. Finding the subject interesting, the authors balanced views well written and leading me also, to wonder how?
I enjoyed the book so much. Finding the subject interesting, the authors balanced views well written and leading me also, to wonder how?
March 3, 2021
Disturbing, but relevant.
September 13, 2022
Switch invasion.
Another sad example of European arrogance. Can't expect too much from slave holders I guess. The original inhabitants have the invaders all they could handle.
Another sad example of European arrogance. Can't expect too much from slave holders I guess. The original inhabitants have the invaders all they could handle.
November 24, 2023
Very well written
This book is as educational as it is entertaining. Take your time and enjoy reading it, you won’t regret your decision to do so.
This book is as educational as it is entertaining. Take your time and enjoy reading it, you won’t regret your decision to do so.
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