READ THIS: The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto

Whom You Know just loves history, and what could be better for us than the history of Manhattan! The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto delves into the intricate history from WAY back when...as much as we are anglophiles at Whom You Know, after reading this book we developed an appreciation for what the Dutch did also.

In 325 pages of steadfast facts about the development of Manhattan and European conquest and colonization of the New World, this work overwhelmingly emphasizes the contributions of the Dutch settlers and traces their influence to the city that lives today. From Adriaen van der Donck to Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch shaped a city of tolerance, successful co-existence among different cultures, and a city that is a meritocracy based on accomplishment of the individual.

We won't explore the minute details of the evolution of the Dutch colony, as you will need to read the book for those, however, Peachy Deegan will tell you that the developments of this colony and its relationship with its mother country, The Netherlands, is of great interest for anyone that lives here or has ever been interested in Manhattan history. Manhattan itself is really derived from Amsterdam and London, and anyone that knows what tomorrow is knows that we are not celebrating our independence from the Dutch!

Although the English clearly won out, the contributions of the Netherlands to the New World are significant and well-worth reading! Often overlooked, this work gives them the proper credit.