A review by justabookholic
The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto

4.0

A thorough and intriguing look into the often overlooked origins of a key American colony. As a New York State native, I recall only brief mentions of New York's Dutch beginnings in history lessons but as this book detailed, the influence of the Dutch is highly prevalent in the makeup of New York City. Such made the unique to the more austere and less inclusive English colonies that existed beside New Netherland (now Manhattan). Well-researched and informative, this gave a detailed (and not too long) examination on the creation of the Dutch colony of Manhattan and its eventual passing to English hands.