I usually am wary of sequels to anything. If something is that good, just leave it alone! That said, there are obvious situations where even my skeptical brain realizes a follow up would be a home run. And yes, I am talking about books.

The Island at the Center of the World is a classic from 2004. Russell Shorto told the story of New Amsterdam before it became New York. It was detailed but accessible. Now, Shorto has gone ahead and told the story about what happened when the English showed up in Taking Manhattan. Spoiler, it became New York! Well, except for a super short little episode later on, but I digress. Shorto elaborates on all the details, agendas, but most importantly, the personalities that clashed when a few English boats showed up in what would become New York Harbor.

Shorto has a tone throughout the book which feels like a conversation. It felt like a guy sat down next to me at a bar and over a few beers he decided to tell me all about Richard Nicolls, Peter Stuyvesant, and a king or two. Don't get me wrong, this work is scholarly and the narrative is peppered with scholars weighing in especially when the historical record is silent on exactly what happened.

The gripes I had while reading was a few background stories carried on a bit longer than necessary. Specifically, Nicolls actions during the English Civil War dragged and the details weren't needed to fully flesh out Nicolls. Shorto already did a good job explaining who he was and what drove him. I also think there are some extrapolations which other scholars may want to take issue with, but neither of these things should warn anyone away from the book. It's a great read.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and W. W. Norton and Company.)

Grand Claims of “Creationist” New York Mythology Delivered Shabbily

This book has a pretty cover-design. There are also maps (with lines and clarifying notes) and illustrations that explain events. There is a great photo of the Mahattan skyline today, as seen from the Ramapo Mountains in New Jersey: very dramatic, so that it almost seems to be a semi-drawn photo. Though a historic drawing from 1664 is too blurry, or low-resolution: it seems like a mistake that could have been fixed by graphics. The font and the scratches on the titles is not appealing because I have stigmatism, so these jumping letters are especially difficult for me to read rapidly.
The preface is digressive as it describes what people at a meeting are wearing. The topics jump around to an “abuse” that “involves industrial pollution from the 1960s”. Then, there is a mention of the myth that Native people “famously ‘sold’ the island of Manhattan to the Dutch… for twenty-four dollars’ worth of knives and kettles”… It’s unclear if evidence will be presented to counter this deal, as stress is put on the fact that at least one native descendent still lives in that region.
The first chapter continues this digressive path, escribing New York’s harbor as “the birth mother of America”, before naming random names and pondering about ancestors. I just don’t want to read any more of this book. Something is terribly unsound here, and I just don’t have the energy to keep digging to describe more of what’s wrong with it. It’s just badly researched, and put together.
—Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Fall 2024: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-fall-2024