Download or read book The Island at the Center of the World written by Russell Shorto and published by Doubleday Books. This book was released on 2004 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of the Dutch role in the establishment of Manhattan discusses the rivalry between England and the Dutch Republic, focusing on the power struggle between Holland governor Peter Stuyvesant and politician Adriaen van der Donck that shaped New York's culture and social freedoms.