The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto is the August book for the History Book Club. Join in person at the Civic Center Library in the Board Room or via Zoom: https://bit.ly/lplhbc on August 18 at 7 p.m. Registration is not necessary to attend in person or on Zoom.
"In a riveting, groundbreaking narrative, Russell Shorto tells the story of New Netherland, the Dutch colony that pre-dated the Pilgrims and established ideals of tolerance and individual rights that shaped American history."
"Astonishing . . . A book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past." --The New York Times
"When the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving, polyglot society began to disappear into myths about an island purchased for 24 dollars and a cartoonish peg-legged governor. But the story of the Dutch colony of New Netherland was merely lost, not destroyed: 12,000 pages of its records–recently declared a national treasure–are now being translated. Russell Shorto draws on this remarkable archive in The Island at the Center of the World, which has been hailed by The New York Times as “a book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past.”
"The Dutch colony pre-dated the “original” thirteen colonies, yet it seems strikingly familiar. Its capital was cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic, and its citizens valued free trade, individual rights, and religious freedom. Their champion was a progressive, young lawyer named Adriaen van der Donck, who emerges in these pages as a forgotten American patriot and whose political vision brought him into conflict with Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony. The struggle between these two strong-willed men laid the foundation for New York City and helped shape American culture. The Island at the Center of the World uncovers a lost world and offers a surprising new perspective on our own." --from the publisher.
Livermore Public Library Book Clubs
Summer Learning is on through August 4, 2026. All ages receive a free book just for signing up! Register at Livermore.beanstack.org or on the Beanstack app. Paper gameboards are also available at all Livermore Library locations. Participants who track their reading and activities will earn raffle tickets towards drawings for prizes. Thanks to Friends of the Livermore Library and our other partners for making the Summer Learning program and events possible.
