Smalltime
- 272bladzijden
- 10 uur lezen
Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America
Russell Shorto is een auteur bekend om zijn meeslepende verhalen over de Amerikaanse geschiedenis. Zijn werk kenmerkt zich door diepgaand historisch onderzoek en narratief vakmanschap, waarbij hij vaak minder bekende aspecten van cruciale historische gebeurtenissen ontrafelt. Shorto's aanpak trekt de lezer de geschiedenis in en biedt frisse perspectieven op de vormende momenten van naties. Hij wordt geprezen om zijn boeiende stijl die historisch speurwerk tot leven brengt.






Family secrets emerge as a best-selling author dives into the history of the mob in small-town America
From the author of the acclaimed history The Island at the Center of the World, an intimate new epic of the American Revolution that reinforces its meaning for today. Russell Shorto’s work has been praised as “first-rate intellectual history” (Wall Street Journal), “literary alchemy” (Chicago Tribune) and simply “astonishing” (New York Times). In his epic new book, Russell Shorto takes us back to the founding of the American nation, drawing on diaries, letters and autobiographies to flesh out six lives that cast the era in a fresh new light. They include an African man who freed himself and his family from slavery, a rebellious young woman who abandoned her abusive husband to chart her own course and a certain Mr. Washington, who was admired for his social graces but harshly criticized for his often-disastrous military strategy. Through these lives we understand that the revolution was fought over the meaning of individual freedom, a philosophical idea that became a force for violent change. A powerful narrative and a brilliant defense of American values, Revolution Song makes the compelling case that the American Revolution is still being fought today and that its ideals are worth defending.
Amsterdam is wereldberoemd. Iedereen kent de grachten en de Wallen, de musea en de coffeeshops, de fietsers en de trams, en natuurlijk de tolerantie die al eeuwenlang een voorbeeld is voor de hele Westerse wereld. Tot op de dag van vandaag maken het vrije denken en de vrije liefde Amsterdam tot een plek waar, met de woorden van oud-burgemeester Job Cohen, craziness is a value. Maar de oorsprong van deze tolerantie gaat veel verder terug. Ze bracht in de zeventiende eeuw politieke en economische vrijheid. Amsterdam was in de Gouden Eeuw niet alleen een vrijhaven voor religieuze dissidenten en radicale denkers maar ook de eerste internationale onderneming. De handelsreizen van de voc bezorgden de stad een ongekende rijkdom en een wereldwijde invloed. In Amsterdam vertelt Russell Shorto de geschiedenis van de meest vrijzinnige stad ter wereld. Van de aanleg van de eerste grachten in de veertiende eeuw tot het begin van de eenentwintigste eeuw, waarin de zo gekoesterde vrijzinnige idealen onder vuur liggen.
Tourists see Amsterdam as a charming city with canals and brick houses, while students know it for its legal brothels and hash bars, and art lovers admire Rembrandt's portraits. However, the city's rich history is deeply tied to its geography and the ongoing struggle of its citizens against the sea, which fostered a unique democratic philosophy. Amsterdam embodies liberalism in two senses: it promotes tolerance for free thought and love, and it has significantly influenced political and economic freedom, impacting even America. The city was a refuge for religious dissidents and radical thinkers, as well as the birthplace of the world's first global corporation. In this insightful narrative, Russell Shorto explores Amsterdam's evolution, connecting seemingly unrelated elements like herring anatomy and Anabaptists to its historical significance. Through his personal experiences in his adopted city, Shorto presents a captivating and intellectually stimulating account of Amsterdam, tracing its journey from the construction of its first canals in the 1300s, through its fight for independence and golden age as an empire, to its contemporary challenges regarding its cherished liberal ideals.
A fascinating intellectual adventure story from the acclaimed author of Amsterdam and The Island at the Center of the World.
It was situated on a perfect natural harbour at the mouth of a great river leading into a huge new land. Manhattan Island was to grow into the most powerful city in the most powerful country in the world. extraordinary history. It tells how a wilderness populated only by wolves and native tribes became the melting pot from which developed the free-trade, multi-cultural and upwardly-mobile spirit of New York that in turn would shape the whole American nation.
With the skill of a seasoned journalist and the passion of an amateur sleuth, Russell Shorto offers a radical revision of the gospel story: a new composite of Jesus that is based on scientific research?and supported by some of our most conservative religious scholars. A vivid and sometimes shocking reconstruction of the life and times of Jesus, Gospel Truth will change the way we see Jesus forever
With the skill of a seasoned journalist and the passion of an amateur sleuth, Russell Shorto offers a radical revision of the gospel story: a new composite of Jesus that is based on scientific research and supported by some of our most conservative religious scholars. A vivid and sometimes shocking reconstruction of the life and times of Jesus, Gospel Truth will change the way we see Jesus forever.