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History of Brooklyn
If you look closely at the City of New York, you will find that it does not conform to a single, all-encompassing metropolitan identity. Rather, the city is made up of five boroughs—districts that operate almost like their own, smaller cities, with their own distinct identities and histories. Located on the western end of Long Island is the most populous of these singular regions: Brooklyn. And its rich and varied past deserves a closer look.
Over the course of the 11 lectures of The History of Brooklyn, Professor Brian Purnell will lead you through the story of this vibrant settlement, from the time when Native Americans fished and farmed the area all the way up to Brooklyn’s present-day renaissance. Throughout this exploration, you’ll see that Brooklyn has always been much more than merely a part of New York City. You’ll meet the many people and witness the various events that shaped this neighborhood and made it a landmark in the story of America.
Brooklyn has been a place of thriving working class and immigrant communities, a place of literature and culture, where bountiful space enabled New York City to stretch out and become a global metropolis. Brooklyn’s constant social and economic ups and downs, its tensions and conflicts around race and class, its recent revival and renaissance are all windows into America’s wider national history.
When the British Army first arrived in the soon-to-be United States to quell the rising colonial rebellion, Brooklyn was where they landed. Centuries later, this region is, as it always has been, a microcosm of the larger social and economic trends shaping the nation. As the journalist Ralph Foster Weld wrote in 1950, “Brooklyn Is America.”
Over the course of the 11 lectures of The History of Brooklyn, Professor Brian Purnell will lead you through the story of this vibrant settlement, from the time when Native Americans fished and farmed the area all the way up to Brooklyn’s present-day renaissance. Throughout this exploration, you’ll see that Brooklyn has always been much more than merely a part of New York City. You’ll meet the many people and witness the various events that shaped this neighborhood and made it a landmark in the story of America.
Brooklyn has been a place of thriving working class and immigrant communities, a place of literature and culture, where bountiful space enabled New York City to stretch out and become a global metropolis. Brooklyn’s constant social and economic ups and downs, its tensions and conflicts around race and class, its recent revival and renaissance are all windows into America’s wider national history.
When the British Army first arrived in the soon-to-be United States to quell the rising colonial rebellion, Brooklyn was where they landed. Centuries later, this region is, as it always has been, a microcosm of the larger social and economic trends shaping the nation. As the journalist Ralph Foster Weld wrote in 1950, “Brooklyn Is America.”
Audiobook
Published June 9, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 20, 2022
I’ve lived near Brooklyn much of my adult life and been there a few times, so when I saw this book “included” in my Audible membership, I thought I’d give it a try. Starting with the Dutch settlers and they people they find there, Purnell traces the place that would become Brooklyn to the modern age. It’s an interesting look at regional history with the best chapters being about the struggle for civil rights. Overall, I think this will be most interesting to New Yorkers, but if you have any interest in the region it’s worth giving a try.
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If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
December 2, 2022
I almost gave this audio course 2 stars because the audio was a bit tinny, but I got used to it and focused on the content.
I am somewhat interested in Brooklyn history, but not overly so. The information provided was good enough, but I sometimes wanted to know more about the surrounding area for better context. I wanted more. I suppose that is a good thing at times but not in this case.
The professor mentions slavery and the plight of Black People in Brooklyn, but not as much as I expected considering the professor focuses on Africana history in his regular job. He also mentions the history of Jews in Brooklyn focusing somewhat on Ruth Bader Ginsberg without becoming political. I was grateful for that.
I doubt I will be listening to this audio course again. Not because of the quality but unless I have a particular interest in a subject, I tend to accept what I have learned and move on.
[Update]
Here is a list of the lectures:
Lect 01 The First Brooklynites-Natives and Newcomers (38:44)
Lect 02 Brooklyn and the New Nation (40:34)
Lect 03 Slavery, Civil War, and the Pursuit of Freedom (37:21)
Lect 04 Industrialization, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the End of Independence (38:05)
Lect 05 Coney Island-America's Playground (36:26)
Lect 06 Brooklyn Neighborhoods in the Early 20th Century (39:48)
Lect 07 Brooklyn During World War II and the 1950s (34:07)
Lect 08 White Brooklyn, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and the American Ghetto (35:23)
Lect 09 Racial Activism and Unrest in Brooklyn (41:49)
Lect 10 Brooklyn on Page, Stage, and Screen (37:49)
Lect 11 Revival and Renaissance (38:43)
I am somewhat interested in Brooklyn history, but not overly so. The information provided was good enough, but I sometimes wanted to know more about the surrounding area for better context. I wanted more. I suppose that is a good thing at times but not in this case.
The professor mentions slavery and the plight of Black People in Brooklyn, but not as much as I expected considering the professor focuses on Africana history in his regular job. He also mentions the history of Jews in Brooklyn focusing somewhat on Ruth Bader Ginsberg without becoming political. I was grateful for that.
I doubt I will be listening to this audio course again. Not because of the quality but unless I have a particular interest in a subject, I tend to accept what I have learned and move on.
[Update]
Here is a list of the lectures:
Lect 01 The First Brooklynites-Natives and Newcomers (38:44)
Lect 02 Brooklyn and the New Nation (40:34)
Lect 03 Slavery, Civil War, and the Pursuit of Freedom (37:21)
Lect 04 Industrialization, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the End of Independence (38:05)
Lect 05 Coney Island-America's Playground (36:26)
Lect 06 Brooklyn Neighborhoods in the Early 20th Century (39:48)
Lect 07 Brooklyn During World War II and the 1950s (34:07)
Lect 08 White Brooklyn, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and the American Ghetto (35:23)
Lect 09 Racial Activism and Unrest in Brooklyn (41:49)
Lect 10 Brooklyn on Page, Stage, and Screen (37:49)
Lect 11 Revival and Renaissance (38:43)
July 26, 2022
As someone who grew up in Queens during the 50s and 60s, often visited relatives in Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, lived in Crown Heights and Flatbush during the early to mid 70s, I walked away from this lecture series with a deeper and broader understanding of the borough I experienced and thought I knew. I had a front row, participatory seat to busing, a quarter century of white flight to in particular Long Island. Then I watched the next generation, not wanting to spend 3-4 hours/day commuting to Manhattan move back to Manhattan and Brooklyn though, into planned gated and segregated communities and schools.
Knowing many of the 60-70-80s notable figures referenced Dr. Purnell gave this story a higher level of integrity. The only negative if you can call it that is you will get much more out of this series if you grew up or spent significant time in the NYC boroughs, if not Brooklyn itself. That said, these lectures demonstrated to me throughout the centuries how people of diverse cultures and ethnicities (particularly working class people) continue to survive uncertainties brought on by rapid change.
It's a must listen to series of history lessons we see increasingly played out throughout American metropolitan areas as they attempt to keep up with the gravitational forces of globalization. Let's all hope the canary continues to live.
Knowing many of the 60-70-80s notable figures referenced Dr. Purnell gave this story a higher level of integrity. The only negative if you can call it that is you will get much more out of this series if you grew up or spent significant time in the NYC boroughs, if not Brooklyn itself. That said, these lectures demonstrated to me throughout the centuries how people of diverse cultures and ethnicities (particularly working class people) continue to survive uncertainties brought on by rapid change.
It's a must listen to series of history lessons we see increasingly played out throughout American metropolitan areas as they attempt to keep up with the gravitational forces of globalization. Let's all hope the canary continues to live.
February 20, 2023
Professor Purnell includes interesting and novel material about Brooklyn and I enjoyed reading it.
About one third of the book focusses on racism against black people and, it occurs to me to question whether this level of attention is merited at the expense of other things that might be discussed in a short (seven hour) audiobook. Just one example: bigotry against any other immigrant group goes unmentioned. Of course, the experience of racism is unique. But this is a history of Brooklyn, not the American south.
Professor P wrote another book where he examined anti-black racism in Brooklyn. Perhaps he let his interest in the subject deflect him from the task he set out to do with this history.
About one third of the book focusses on racism against black people and, it occurs to me to question whether this level of attention is merited at the expense of other things that might be discussed in a short (seven hour) audiobook. Just one example: bigotry against any other immigrant group goes unmentioned. Of course, the experience of racism is unique. But this is a history of Brooklyn, not the American south.
Professor P wrote another book where he examined anti-black racism in Brooklyn. Perhaps he let his interest in the subject deflect him from the task he set out to do with this history.
July 14, 2022
While the content was interesting, and all new to me, the Professor narrating it made me want to throw my phone into my computer and pitch the entire mess out the window. It was like a school report where the kid giving it was just reading out individual words on a page with no idea what they were actually saying. For seven hours.
November 11, 2022
This Great Courses tutorial on Brooklyn, NY is not as good as other Great Courses I have listened to.
It was FREE though at Audible.com so I am satisfied.
The History does lean heavily on racism in most lectures and of course racism is/was alive and well throughout Brooklyn's 400 years of existance.
A more accurate title would have reflected the courses content.
It was FREE though at Audible.com so I am satisfied.
The History does lean heavily on racism in most lectures and of course racism is/was alive and well throughout Brooklyn's 400 years of existance.
A more accurate title would have reflected the courses content.
August 30, 2022
Interesting read. Didn’t know Vince Lombardi was from Brooklyn!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews