{"product_id":"the-island-at-the-center-of-the-world-by-russell-shorto-2004-hcdj-very-good","title":"The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto (2004) HCDJ VERY GOOD","description":"\u003cp\u003eHardcover with DJ in Very Good condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cspan\u003epolyglot society began to disappear into myths about an island purchased for 24 dollars and a cartoonish peg-legged governor. But the story of the Dutch colony of New Netherland was merely lost, not destroyed: 12,000 pages of its records–recently declared a national treasure–are now being translated. Drawing on this remarkable archive, Russell Shorto has created a gripping narrative–a story of global sweep centered on a wilderness called Manhattan–that transforms our understanding of early America.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Dutch colony pre-dated the “original” thirteen colonies, yet it seems strikingly familiar. Its capital was cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic, and its citizens valued free trade, individual rights, and religious freedom. Their champion was a progressive, young lawyer named Adriaen van der Donck, who emerges in these pages as a forgotten American patriot and whose political vision brought him into conflict with Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony. The struggle between these two strong-willed men laid the foundation for New York City and helped shape American culture. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Island at the Center of the World\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e uncovers a lost world and offers a surprising new perspective on our own.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ex Libris Used Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49518120927459,"sku":"EXL002641","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0562\/5675\/7951\/files\/s-l500-2026-08-10T103645.240.webp?v=1786372669","url":"https:\/\/www.exlibrismichigan.com\/products\/the-island-at-the-center-of-the-world-by-russell-shorto-2004-hcdj-very-good","provider":"Ex Libris Used Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}