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The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan, the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America by Russell Shorto
The Island at the Center of the World uncovers a forgotten period of American colonial history when the island of Manhattan was at the center of a Dutch colony. Based on recently translated documents, Russell Shorto shows the strategic importance of Manhattan in the Netherlands' new world aspirations, and the political struggles within the colony for proper treatments of its citizens. The "hero" of this book is Adriaen Van der Donck, a young Dutch lawyer, who was constantly at odds with Governor Peter Stuyvesant and argued for equal rights for Manhattanites as part of the Dutch empire. The Island at the Center of the World has received positive reviews for its forgotten story of the origins of one of the world's most important cities. The Guardian says, "Shorto's book deserves to be a bestseller: it is narratively irresistible, intellectually provocative, historically invaluable."
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