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Knickerbocker
Price: $24.95
Subtitle: The Myth behind New
York
Author:
Elizabeth L. Bradley
Subject: American
Studies, Regional,
History
Cloth ISBN: 978-0-8135-4516-5
Pages: 192 pages, 24 illustrations
Publication Date: July 2009
Rivergate BooksTM
Praise for Knickerbocker
"Those who puzzle at the
incessant branding and rebranding of New York City would do well to
read this fascinating, sophisticated, and witty social history of a
myth. Bradley knows her facts and shrewdly and convincingly interprets
them. A delightful contribution to urban studies."—Phillip Lopate, author of Waterfront: A Journey Around Manhattan
"Knickerbocker is a storied name
steeped in tradition--one that I am proud to have been a part of.
Bradley's Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York offers a unique
examination of how a name familiarized by Washington Irving two hundred
years ago grew to become a cultural symbol of New York."—Former U.S.
Senator Bill Bradley
"Is New York different from
other cities, or does it just have different myths? Focusing on a
tale first spun by Washington Irving two centuries ago, Knickerbocker
answers this question with grace and skill. It is a delight to
read."—Kenneth
T. Jackson, editor-in-chief, The
Encyclopedia of New York
"Bradley creates an engaging
account of the city through the fictional Knickerbocker, who was a
steady presence 'over two centuries of wrenching urban transformation,
from the post-colonial to the postmodern.' Bradley is a perceptive and
lively writer and does a superb job of tracing the many strands of the
Knickerbocker myth. She provided the historical context necessary to
illustrate the ways the Knickerbocker brand was invoked and provides
deft analysis of the cultural meanings it accrued."—Bookforum
Description:
Deep within New York’s compelling,
sprawling history lives an odd, ornery
Manhattan native named Diedrich Knickerbocker. The name may be familiar
today: his story gave rise to generations of popular tributes—from a
beer brand
to a basketball team and more—but Knickerbocker himself has been
forgotten.
In fact, he was New York’s first truly homegrown chronicler, and as a
descendant
of the Dutch settlers, he singlehandedly tried to reclaim the city for
the Dutch.
Almost singlehandedly, that is.
Diedrich Knickerbocker was created in 1809 by a young Washington
Irving, who
used the character to narrate his classic satire, A History of New York. According to
Irving’s partisan narrator, everything good and distinctive, proud and
powerful, about New York City—from the doughnuts to the twisting
streets of lower
Manhattan—could be traced back to New Amsterdam.
- Terrific general interest, cultural history of a city with a
rich and lively literary past
- First-ever book on the eponymous myth that has informed New
York City culture since the early 1800s
- Coincides with the two-hundredth anniversary of Washington
Irving’s publication of A History of New York
- Perfect gift book or addition to library collection of New
York City—themed books
- Includes a gallery of images that brings Diedrich
Knickerbocker, his myth, time, and place to life
Knickerbocker
engagingly traces the creation, evolution, and prevalence of Irving’s
imaginary historian in New York literature and history, art and
advertising, from
the early nineteenth century to the present day. Who would imagine this
satiric
character, at once a snob and a champion of the people, would endure
for two
hundred years? In Elizabeth L. Bradley’s words, “Whether you
call it ‘blood,’ style, attitude, or moxie, the little Dutchman could
deliver.” And, from this engaging work, it is clear that he
does.
Bradley’s stunning volume offers a surprising and delightful glimpse
behind the
scenes of New York history, and invites readers into the world of
Knickerbocker,
the antihero who surprised everyone by becoming the standard-bearer for
the
city’s exceptional sense of self, or what we now call a New York
“attitude.”
About the Author:
Elizabeth L. Bradley
is deputy director of the Cullman
Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. She is
the editor of Washington Irving’s A
History of New York, a contributor to the Encyclopedia of New York City, and
has written about New York history and culture for several publications.
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Price: $24.95
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