It's been quite a while since my last post, and I blame partly myself, but partly my choice of book, that I haven't posted. "The Island at the Center of the World" presented a unique challenge to me in that it's a non-fiction book that outlines a very long, complicated history. I've finished the book, and have recorded a brief review below. I think from now on I'll stick to fiction books. It's much easier to want to review fiction than write a book report.
I finished reading "The Island at the Center of the World" by Russell Shorto. In short, it was a well written tome of endless information. For a non-fiction work, it kept me riveted and excited to turn the next page. I learned a great deal about the history of New York, when it was known as New Amsterdam. What I found most interesting is that, as it does today, New Amsterdam was open to people of many different races, religions, and creeds. It represented a haven for the oppressed and poor; a place to start over. The island of Manhattan was a lush, verdant paradise of hardwood and softwood forests, teeming with wildlife and streams and rivers that were overflowing with fish, shellfish, and most importantly, beavers. It provided a welcome opportunity for individuals from many different walks of life -- it has been calculated that one married couple, a prostitute and a pirate, have sired over 1 million people -- to create families, businesses, and dynasties.
The Native Americans were respected allies and were included in many trade and political agreements. They also helped the Dutch secure a stronghold on the beaver pelt trade while New Amsterdam was in the hands of the Dutch government (which is very confusing at that time-- the Government comprised of smaller Dutch states). By the time the English took over New Amsterdam, though, the beaver population was largely depleted, and the relationship with the Native Americans had soured.
Here is a link to a recent NY Times article that talks about the man who has translated the documents "The Island at the Center of the World" is based upon. It does a much better job than I ever could at describing the work of Charles Gehrig, someone who is fluent in an extinct form of Dutch and who has been translating documents in the basement of the New York Library for 35 years. NYTIMES
My next book that I will review (I've already devoured it) is "The Historian." It's a fantastic book. Look for a post in the next few days.
