The Hudson Valley: The First 250 Million Years: A Mostly Chronological and Occasionally Personal History

by David Levine

From the dinosaurs and the glaciers to the first native peoples and the first European settlers, from Dutch and English Colonial rule to the American Revolution, from the slave society to the Civil War, from the robber barons and bootleggers to the war heroes and the happy rise of craft beer pubs, the Hudson Valley has a deep history. The Hudson Valley: The First 250 Million Years chronicles the Valley's rich and fascinating history and charms. Often funny, sometimes personal, always entertaining, this collection of essays offers a unique look at the Hudson Valley's most important and interesting people, places, and events.

Genres: History

320 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Rebecca Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful book about where I live in NY. I’m a history fan so this was great fun learning about people, events, even geological history. I’ve been reading a chapter every night or so during the COVID19 isolation. It’s a great way to end the day with a larger perspective.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book educated me about the Hudson Valley, a place I've lived my entire life, but never was taught about. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning in an entertaining manner with very approachable language and humor. Reminiscent of Bill Bryson and Mary Roach.

[Roy Lotz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book last summer, at a local bookstore, with the virtuous idea of deepening my appreciation for my native place. And though the book did indeed quicken my enjoyment of home, it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted either one of two things: a narrative history of the valley, or a travel guide with interesting places to visit.

This book is neither. Rather, it is a collection of short articles, originally published in The Hudson Valley Magazine, and then compiled here in roughly chronological order. This makes it rather easy reading, since each chapter is only two or three pages, but it doesn’t weave the many historical threads into a tapestry.

Added to that, Levine clearly wrote these on a tight deadline. Thus, for research he often resorts to contacting local experts and reporting what they said. The inevitable result is light history. And the hokey, jokey style appropriate for a weekly column of local history became grating over the course of a book.

But I can’t knock the book too much, since I’m responsible for buying it without giving it proper inspection. And it should be said that Levine casts an admirably wide net, writing about geology, the Revolutionary War, the UFO sightings of the 1980s, among much else. It may not be the definitive book on the Hudson Valley, but it’s a good place to start.

[Hugolane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun collection of interesting vignettes. While the first one does discuss the geology of the Hudson Valley and another about the Lenape who lived there before the arrival of Europeans, the vast majority of the essays are about Europeans and their activities, sometimes involving other groups, be they Native Americans and African Americans. Additionally the focus is primarily on t the Hudson Valley north of NYC, which I think misses some opportunities.

[Arianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of it was a bit too casual/personal, and some of it was very poorly edited, but mostly I just learned SO MUCH about our area and added, like, 20 places that I want to visit to my list. So all in all super interesting and worth checking out, especially if you live around here.

[Gerda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book if you have a few moments here and there to read a bit of history. It is an enjoyable series of short essays that make learning about the Hudson Valley very easy. The chapters are short, in a style magazine format, with brief interviews with experts.

[mary mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

some interesting tidbits. but a lot of it fails to cohere. the book's orientation by subject matter is a little odd too. you sort of want it chronological, or perhaps geographical, more than thirty pages about "industry" and then "art" and then "world war ii." quick read.

[Joe Rousmaniere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hudson was a whaling center!

[Bruce Ballan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific humor with lots of fascinating historical and modern facts about this region!