Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 14
 Brilliant! July 17, 2009
ny history (new york, ny)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Well researched, well written, just an incredible journey that seems light years away from what we know now. I would recommend Mannahatta to everyone -- a truly original work by a very talented author.
 Amazon's lousy shipping July 10, 2009
Greg T. (Cranford, NJ)
1 out of 14 found this review helpful
My one-star review does not reflect the title, but rather Amazon's awful shipping department. The reason why this item is currently "under review" is because Amazon ships it in a flimsy cardboard sleeve. Both the original copy that I received and its replacement arrived heavily damaged (torn cover, binding separated from the spine, etc.). Amazon will happily ship a $10 CD in a regular box with the item secured using plastic wrap and bubble packs, yet elects to ship a 4-pound, $26 hardcover book in nothing more than a cheap layer of cardboard. This is not the first time I've had this problem. An Amazon rep told me that instead of trying to ship another copy, they're just going to refund my money and remove the item from their site until they're able to address the issue.
Vivid Window into New York's Ecological Past July 5, 2009
Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Eric Sanderson is a landscape ecologist who after moving to New York City a decade ago became obsessed with the question of what NYC looked like on the eve of the arrival of European explorers (1609). Sanderson eventually saw a 1782/83 British military map that laid out the topography of the entirety of Manhattan in great detail at a time when the city was still confined to the southern tip of the island -- great detail, that is, except for the actual height of the many hills depicted (in the language of the Lenape Indians, the name was originally "Island of Many Hills"). Eventually, Sanderson was able to establish the original heights of the hills from a variety of sources, including early 19th century surveying records and modern investigation of surviving bedrock outcroppings. (Over the course of many decades, most of the hills of Manhattan had been lowered or completely leveled and low land filled in.) Using this data and the British military map and other maps and drawings, Sanderson constructed an intricate computer model of the island's 1609 topography, and mated this model with a wealth of information about ecosystems of coastal regions of the northeast US, yielding quite literally a detailed picture of 1609 Manhattan, a picture unveiled in numerous computer-generated images and maps reproduced in Sanderson's new book "Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City".It is almost as if we were looking at aerial photographs taken on the day that Henry Hudson first sailed up the river that later bore his name.
Sanderson, by the way, is quite careful not to describe 1609 as being viginally primeval and untouched; instead, he points out that the native Lenapes had a profound impact on that landscape, especially regarding the open grasslands of Harlem (the Lenapes used fire to clear forest for agricultural purposes and to keep the land clear -- the earliest European explorers made note of the large grassy fields.).
Altogether, this is an extraordinarily vivid window into a vanished world. But, Sanderson goes on to project how Manhattan may look in another 400 years, if we pay heed to the necessity of creating a more sustainable urban landscape.
Manhattan Peeled Back June 23, 2009
Steven P. Mark
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book for naturalists, urban explorers and those who are just plain curious about Manhattan. Long before George Washington retreated up the length of the island, Manhattan was a pristine wilderness inhabited by a First American tribe or two. Having finished the book over two weekends I have a new appreciation for the island's topography which can still be experienced as Marathon runners struggle up First Avenue, one drives from 57th St down to 42nd St on Broadway and hikes up a rather steep hill on Lexington Avenue from 106th St. to 96th St. and its natural beauty as evidenced by a spectacular harbor, Mt Morris Park and its northern forested area. The photos and other illustrations complement an engaging and fascinating text. A truly beautiful work.
A fascinating read June 23, 2009
Jonathan Becker (New York, NY)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Posted June 18, 2009, 10:56 AM EST:
I have not been able to put this book down since my financée purchased it for me three weeks ago. Sanderson's account of the early history of Manhattan is truly remarkable. I am a native Manhattanite oft thought of as a country boy stuck in a city body. This book explains why. Manhattan, in its roots, is a majestic tapestry of trees, ponds, streams, bogs, grasslands, fauna and floral. It was as abundant in its diverse ecosystems as is Brooklyn in its immigrant populations. It was every bit as wild with birds and bees buzzing and bears and wolves howling as it is today with young singles in Murray Hill pining after each other in the local bars or Wall Street yuppies crowing at the sound of the opening bell. Sanderson's prose is elegant, weaving history lessons and anecdotal snippets of information into an elaborate portrait of Mannahatta's lush landscape. He brings this lost world to life with clarity in non-judgmental fashion- a remarkable work.
A truly unforgettable experience; you will never look at Manhattan in the same way again.
Showing reviews 6-10 of 14
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