Podcasts about Shorto

It's one of the most foundational questions we could ever ask on this show -- how did New York City get its name?You may know that the English conquered the Dutch settlement of New Netherland (and its port town of New Amsterdam) in 1664, but the details of this history-making day have remained hazy -- until now.Russell Shorto brought the world of New Amsterdam and the early years before New York to life in his classic history The Island At The Center of The World. His new book Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America functions as a sequel of sorts, revisiting the moment when New Amsterdam ceased to be -- and New York was born.Shorto joins Greg and Tom for a very spirited discussion of international warfare, displaced princes, frantic letter writing and ominous warships in the harbor.At the end of this story, you will not only know how New York -- the city, the state, the whole place, from Buffalo to Long Island -- got its name, you will know the exact forgotten historical figure who gave it that name.Visit the Bowery Boys website for more information. Get Russell Shorto's new book Taking ManhattanThis episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon

The latest book from Russell Shorto explores the historical conflict between the Dutch and the English over the island of Manhattan, as well as the story of the indigenous people who had long occupied the land as it was being contested by the two European nations. Shorto shares his insights from Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America.

MET SPECIAL GUEST RUSSELL SHORTO Koen Kleijn praat met Russell Shorto over zijn betrokkenheid bij beide steden, over de veranderende manier om de geschiedenis van Nieuw Amsterdam te vertellen, over de oorspronkelijke bewoners en over de geïmporteerde zwarte Afrikanen, die deel uitmaakten van de kolonie. Het gesprek is bij uitzondering in het Engels; de Nederlandse vertaling is te vinden op onsamsterdam.nl.  Over Russell Shorto Amsterdamkenners kennen hem: Russell Shorto woonde van november 2007 tot 2013 in de stad en was directeur van het John Adams Institute, dat vooraanstaande Amerikaanse schrijvers en denkers naar Amsterdam haalde. Hij had toen al een bestseller op zijn naam over de geschiedenis van Nieuw-Amsterdam, The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America, dat in Nederland verscheen als Nieuw Amsterdam. De oorsprong van New York. De liefde voor zijn nieuwe woonplaats vertaalde zich naar het boek Amsterdam, geschiedenis van de meest vrijzinnige stad ter wereld, uit 2013. Shorto publiceerde daarvoor en daarna over tal van andere onderwerpen. Maar de relatie met Amsterdam en Nieuw Amsterdam beheerst nog altijd zijn werk. In New York maakte hij voor de eerbiedwaardige New-York Historical Society (sinds 1812!) de tentoonstelling New York before New York. Hij schreef er in het juninummer van Ons Amsterdam een artikel over.

The Bowery Boys Podcast is going to Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands for a very special mini-series, marking the 400th anniversary of the Dutch first settling in North America in the region that today we call New York City.But before they go, they're kicking off their international voyage with a special conversation -- with the man who inspired the journey.Chances are good that if your bookshelf contains a respectable number of New York City history books, we imagine that one of those is The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America written by Russell Shorto.The best-selling book re-introduced the Dutch presence in America to a new generation of readers and revitalized interest in New York City history when it was published in 2004.Kevin Baker (a recent guest on our show), penning the original review for the New York Times, proclaimed, "New York history buffs will be captivated by Shorto's descriptions of Manhattan in its primordial state, of bays full of salmon and oysters, and blue plums and fields of wild strawberries in what is now Midtown." And so before Greg and Tom begin their mini-series by speaking with Shorto about his classic book, his experiences in Amsterdam and his work with the New-York Historical Society, where he has curated a new exhibition New York Before New York: The Castello Plan of New Amsterdam.Russell also gives Tom and Greg some tips on places to go and advice on how to explore Amsterdam's old canals and corridors. Is it possible to find traces of New York City's past in that city's present?And then -- immediately after the interview -- they head for the airport!Visit the website for more information

On this episode, Cody takes Steve on a journey to the New Netherland colony, as they discuss one of the most obscure signers, Simon Boerum.SourcesSchmidt, Benjamin. Innocence Abroad: The Dutch Imagination and the New World, 1570-1670. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge U. Press, 2001.Shorto, Russell. The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America. New York City, NY: Doubleday, 2004.United States Congress. “Simon Boerum.” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 29 Aug 2023. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/B000591.See pinned tweet for general sources Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join our special guests Dave & Nice' Shorto as they share their inspirational journey leaving the PBCC. This beautiful couple kept their family including their 4 children intact and embarked on a new life journey. They left and joined a Christian church that embraced them with open arms. 40 years later they are still faithfully attending this church they now call family. Their story was so light and inspiring and they radiate such deep love for each other! David leaves you beaming from ear to ear as he exudes his love for humanity and desire to inspire those inside to know what true Christianity is all about. Contact us at info.getalife@proton.me Link to YouTube channel-https://youtube.com/@getalifepodcast #plymouthbrethrenchristianchurch #pbcc #abuse #church #cult #religion #trauma #religioustrauma #sexualabuse #mindcontrol #brainwashing #conversation #exmembers #exposingtruth #whistleblower #getalifepodcast #getalife #podcast #exclusivebrethren #brucehales #johnhales #shutup #withdrawnfrom #worldly #excommunicate #assemblydeath #christiansect #christiancult #canadiancult #canadiansect #BruceHales #BDH #BruceDHales #UniversalBusinessTeam #UBT #RRT #RapidReliefTeam #Aberdeen #oneschoolglobal

This week, we speak to 19 year old breakout artist AMI from Trinidad and Tobago. She speaks about how her life follows a pattern of Grammy award winning artist Koffee and how her music got discovered by producer Shaka Pro. Plus, we feature new music from Shorto, Joshua Ali and more.

More music, less talk, another week for new music from artists such as Shorto, Triplee, Bizzle and a Dancehall gospel track from a pastor and secular dancehall artist Spice.

Russell Shorto's grandfather was a mob leader in the industrial town of Johnstown, Pa. Shorto writes about the havoc that resulted from his grandfather's operation in the memoir, Smalltime. The story involves rackets, political payoffs, and the unsolved murder of a bookie. John Powers reviews Reacher, a series on Amazon Prime Video.

Russell Shorto's grandfather was a mob leader in the industrial town of Johnstown, Pa. Shorto writes about the havoc that resulted from his grandfather's operation in the memoir, Smalltime. The story involves rackets, political payoffs, and the unsolved murder of a bookie. John Powers reviews Reacher, a series on Amazon Prime Video.

As is customary on our show, we review the year in gospel music in St. Kitts and Nevis, the wider Caribbean and internationally with Janeel Boon, radio host and program director at Dominion Radio in St. Kitts. Plus, we have new music from Lecrae, IK Phew, Shorto and a new St. Kitts artist Evy and Sarid DVN.

On this edition , we feature strictly new songs from arties from all over the Caribbean including Shorto from Trinidad and Tobago, Allan Petty from Guyana, Shado Vijon from Jamaica and Shako Pro Productions from Trinidad Tobago.

We catch up with Trinidadian Gospel artist Curtis Jordan on what he has been doing of late, the inspiration behind his last album Rivers of Jordan and how he expects gospel music in the Caribbean to take off to higher levels after the pandemic. Plus we feature music from Gawvi, Koryn Hawthorne and new music from Shorto.

One of the first artists to be featured on The JIFE Music Show Di Anointed Vale, is our guest on this week's edition of the show. Vale has evolved from a Reggae Gospel Artist to an artist manager and entrepreneur. Hear him speak about his experience over the years and his plans to release a prophetic worship album. Also on this show we hear new music from Shorto, Shado Vijon, Hip Hop artists Wande and Aaron Cole.

Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey made headlines over the weekend by vetoing 22 bills passed by his state's legislature. He claims he vetoed these bills because Arizona lawmakers need to pass a budget and have it on his desk ASAP. But is that the real reason? Also, I am down to the last little bit of Russell Shorto's 'The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America.' Let's take some time to unpack how the attitudes and organization of the Dutch imprinting themselves early-on in the colony of New Netherlands and the trading port of New Amsterdam helped to shape how the 13 colonies ultimately came together to form The United States of America as we know it today. If one looks closely, one can almost see current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the comedians at Saturday Night Live in the 17th century historical sketch Shorto provides. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/support

Jennifer is a global citizen who has experienced living in many different countries and cultures. Jennifer takes this sense of adventure and mixes it with fantasy to create her amazing textiles and wallpapers.At London Property, we use our experience, expertise & deep-rooted relationships to connect super-prime property owners and tenants with hand-picked experts. We also aim to inform and entertain Londoners through content across multiple platforms linked below.Visit https://londonproperty.co.uk/en/ and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about our weekly vlogs & podcast.InstagramTwitterYouTubeLinkedInFacebookBuzzsproutinfo@londonproperty.co.uk for all enquiries

Russell Shorto -Johnstown Mob Gary interviews the author of Smalltime: A story of My Family and the Mob. Mr. Shorto is the namesake and grandson of Johnstown Mafia gambler and long-time close associate of Youngstown... The post Russell Shorto appeared first on Gangland Wire.

Russell Shorto, author of Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob (Norton) talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about the art, craft, and business of writing memoir, especially when you had no intention of doing so. Shorto is the author of the bestselling The Island at the Center of the World, Amsterdam, and Revolution Song. Download audio.  (Broadcast date: March 24, 2021)Intro, outro, and musical interludes by Travis Barrett. Find more of his music on Spotify and Soundcloud.

Russell Shorto - A Story of My Family and the Mob The Not Old Better Show, Author Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show.  I'm Paul Vogelzang, and this is episode #520.  Today's show is brought to you by Relief Factor. So many of The Not Old Better Show audience enjoy researching genealogy, family history, and ancestry.  Our guest today, NYT best-selling author, Russell Shorto's new book ‘Smalltime,' A Story of My Family and the Mob, explores much more. Admittedly, Russell Shorto also had unusually rich material to work with. “Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob”  is a painstakingly researched, thoroughly entertaining, multi-generational look at Russell Shorto's paternal grandfather's career as a mobster in Johnstown, PA.  Speaking of the mob, 5 time Academy Award-winning filmmaker of The Godfather series. Francis Ford Coppola says of ‘Smalltime,'  “Great history mixed with lovely, lingering memories.” Shorto was born in 1959, and his grandfather, also named Russell Shorto, lived until 1981. They knew each other, but “Smalltime” could easily never have happened.  We talk about 'why,' the mob's way of doing business, and the personal growth that comes from researching your family's roots.  Russell Shorto says to do family history work you must have the stomach for it! Russell Shorto is known for narrative history, nonfiction books including “The Island at the Center of the World,” about the 17th-century North American Dutch colony New Netherlands, and “Revolution Song,” about the American Revolution. Yet the fascinating life of his own namesake ancestor might have remained unwritten if not for a chance encounter several years ago with an older relative who prodded him to look into it.  Check out our interview and please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show via internet phone, author Russell Shorto. Thank you to sponsor Relief Factor for sponsoring the show today.  My special thanks to author Russell Shorto for his generous time today, and my thanks to you my dear Not Old Better Show audience for your company today, and I hope you'll join me next time.  Be safe, be healthy, and please practice smart social distancing, and remember, Let's talk about better. The Not Old Better Show. Thanks, everybody. URL:  Relief Factor dot com slash better  URL:   https://www.relieffactor.com/better

Our guest on this episode needs no real further introduction due to the immense coverage that he has received both locally and nationally.  We were thrilled to have sat down with Russel Shorto to talk about his roots in Johnstown and his newly released book, "Small Time."  Truly groundbreaking and fascinating, you certainly want to have a listen to this one!

Russell Shorto joins us. In his new book, “Smalltime,” after much throat clearing and hedging about not being a memoirist, Russell Shorto — a master of historical narrative — digs up the facts on his family. Until now, Shorto has written books mostly about people he's never met, trying to get inside the heads of Peter Stuyvesant in “The Island at the Center of the World”; Baruch Spinoza in “Amsterdam”; and George Washington in his last book, “Revolution Song.” But the most fascinating characters in those books — for Shorto and for the reader — are always the ones that history has forgotten. An Italian-American whose family name was changed long ago from Sciotto, Shorto comes from a small-time criminal clan in Johnstown, Pa., people you have never heard of before. History has not forgotten them. It never knew them to begin with. More at www.CooperandAnthony.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cooperandanthony/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cooperandanthony/support

This week, we feature a superstar line up track "Wave It" featuring Daniel Musgrove, Nigel Lewis, Canton Jones and Papa San. We have two of those artists on the show this week: Daniel Musgrove and Nigel Lewis in our interview to talk about the song and why they think the Gospel music business is no different than the secular music industry. Plus, we have new music from Shorto, Mr. J and Shawn English and more.

Russell Shorto joins us. In his new book, “Smalltime,” after much throat clearing and hedging about not being a memoirist, Russell Shorto — a master of historical narrative — digs up the facts on his family. Until now, Shorto has written books mostly about people he's never met, trying to get inside the heads of Peter Stuyvesant in “The Island at the Center of the World”; Baruch Spinoza in “Amsterdam”; and George Washington in his last book, “Revolution Song.” But the most fascinating characters in those books — for Shorto and for the reader — are always the ones that history has forgotten. An Italian-American whose family name was changed long ago from Sciotto, Shorto comes from a small-time criminal clan in Johnstown, Pa., people you have never heard of before. History has not forgotten them. It never knew them to begin with. More at www.CooperandAnthony.com

Ellen Harper, and her Grammy award-winning son, musician Ben Harper, both grew up in the Folk Music Center in Claremont, Calif. Ellen's parents founded the center in 1958, and Ellen runs it today. Her new memoir, 'Always a Song,' is her story of the folk music revival of the '50s and '60s, and about raising her three biracial sons, mostly as a single mother. Also, John Powers reviews 'The Copenhagen Trilogy' by Tove Ditlevsen. Finally, writer Russell Shorto's grandfather was a mob boss in the industrial town of Johnstown, Pa., where Shorto grew up. He talks about uncovering his family's secret gambling operation in his new memoir, 'Smalltime.'

Ellen Harper, and her Grammy award-winning son, musician Ben Harper, both grew up in the Folk Music Center in Claremont, Calif. Ellen's parents founded the center in 1958, and Ellen runs it today. Her new memoir, 'Always a Song,' is her story of the folk music revival of the '50s and '60s, and about raising her three biracial sons, mostly as a single mother. Also, John Powers reviews 'The Copenhagen Trilogy' by Tove Ditlevsen. Finally, writer Russell Shorto's grandfather was a mob boss in the industrial town of Johnstown, Pa., where Shorto grew up. He talks about uncovering his family's secret gambling operation in his new memoir, 'Smalltime.'

Every family has things they don’t talk about: those regrettable beliefs espoused by your great-grandmother, or why your uncles don’t speak to each other anymore. Sometimes these are remnants of the old social order, things that were considered shameful 50 years ago that are perfectly normal today (or the opposite). And sometimes, members of your family just happened to be small-time mobsters. The acclaimed writer Russell Shorto, author of such histories as Amsterdam and The Island at the Center of the World, always knew his grandfather and namesake was involved with the Italian mafia, but Shorto never quite got around to digging up the whole tale until now. He joins us on the podcast to discuss his new memoir, Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. Go beyond the episode:Russell Shorto’s Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the MobInspired to dig up your own family dirt? Shorto developed an online course called Tell Your Family StoryItching for a history of the big-time mafia? Check out Thomas Reppetto’s American Mafia, John Dickie’s Cosa Nostra, or Salvatore Lupo’s History of the MafiaAnd you can’t forget the movies: the British Film Institute ranks the 10 best mafia moviesTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Every family has things they don’t talk about: those regrettable beliefs espoused by your great-grandmother, or why your uncles don’t speak to each other anymore. Sometimes these are remnants of the old social order, things that were considered shameful 50 years ago that are perfectly normal today (or the opposite). And sometimes, members of your family just happened to be small-time mobsters. The acclaimed writer Russell Shorto, author of such histories as Amsterdam and The Island at the Center of the World, always knew his grandfather and namesake was involved with the Italian mafia, but Shorto never quite got around to digging up the whole tale until now. He joins us on the podcast to discuss his new memoir, Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. Go beyond the episode:Russell Shorto’s Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the MobInspired to dig up your own family dirt? Shorto developed an online course called Tell Your Family StoryItching for a history of the big-time mafia? Check out Thomas Reppetto’s American Mafia, John Dickie’s Cosa Nostra, or Salvatore Lupo’s History of the MafiaAnd you can’t forget the movies: the British Film Institute ranks the 10 best mafia moviesTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jason competed as a pro triathlete on the world stage for over 25 years and during that time completed over 85 Ironman distance triathlons. The man they call Shorto quickly became known as one of the toughest and more resilient triathletes on the circuit. A fascinating listen. Enjoy

In celebration of July 4th, Tom Keene and Pimm Fox speak to historians and authors Russell Shorto and Gordon Wood on Shorto's newest book, "Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom."  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

In celebration of July 4th, Tom Keene and Pimm Fox speak to historians and authors Russell Shorto and Gordon Wood on Shorto's newest book, "Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom." 

AViD author Russell Shorto joins special guest host Laura Rowley on the newest episode of the DMPL Podcast! Shorto wrote Revolution Song, which is a narrative history of the American Revolution. Shorto shares with Rowley why he settled on the six real-life characters that he chose to tell the story of the Revolution. He also shares a little bit about his next project, which is the story of the mafia - and also a family story. Shorto will be at the Central Library as part of the 2018 AViD series on Thursday, June 14, at 7:00 PM.  

Today's episode is a special one. Past episodes of How Things Grow have told the stories of how technologies and companies have taken off. Today's episode tells the improbable story of the rise of a physical ecosystem. This episode is the first of a two part story. This episode features the story of New York City - and how it went from a wilderness island in 1600 to the burgeoning trading town of New Amsterdam that was renamed New York. In our next episode, we'll talk about New York's story from the British rule in the 17th century to today. Before I moved from Bangalore, India to New York City for the first time, I knew nothing about this metropolis. As I Googled and poked around online about the city and its origins from a faraway land, one book kept showing up time and again. This book was ‘The island at the center of the world' - and the author Russell Shorto, is my guest for today. Russell is an author, historian and journalist. The NYT Books Review has said: “Masterly…. A new foundation myth….. Shorto writes at all times with passion, verve, nuance and considerable humor.” He's written six books. His most recent book ‘Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom' was released in 2017. This is the first of a two part series that covers the time period from before Manhattan's prehistory to its annexation by the British in 1664, the point when its name changed from New Amsterdam to New York. We talk about Henry Hudson's attempts to reach Japan through the center of North America. We talk about why the Dutch colonized this wilderness island to expand their trading empire, and how the Dutch West India Company's corporate failures led to the explosion of trade in New York City. We'll go into how power, money and geography prompted the British to capture the city from the Dutch. We'll conclude this episode in the late 18th century at the point of time when the British took over the city and changed its name from New Amsterdam to New York. We'll pick up New York's story from the British rule to the present day in next week's episode.  Check out the full transcript and show notes here:https://howthingsgrow.co/from-a-wilderness-a-metropolis-emergespart-1-2-the-new-york-story-with-russell-shorto/**Get more goodies here:http://MobileUserAcquisitionShow.comhttp://RocketShipHQ.comhttp://RocketShipHQ.com/blog

Best-selling author, and usual host of this podcast, Russell Shorto sits down with "Praatjes" producer Steve McErleane to discuss Shorto's latest book, Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom. The conversation also covers Shorto's insights into the interpretation of historical evidence, his thoughts on the craft of writing, and his experiences as an author.

Russell Shorto‘s Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom (Norton, 2017) is a history of many revolutions, kaleidoscopic turns through six individual lives. There is Cornplanter, a leader of the Seneca Indians; George Germain, who led the British war strategy during the Revolution; Margaret Moncrieffe Coghlan, the daughter of a British major; the always worried and wearied George Washington; Venture Smith, an African slave who eventually purchased his freedom in Connecticut; and Abraham Yates, the self-taught rabble rouser from Albany who helped shape the politics of New York, and the country. With each turn in their stories, these six lives continuously remerge and recolor the text, and together make one Revolution. Shorto keeps the reader on the ground, so that we can see how the term “freedom,” among other concepts of the time, gained its meaning and importance. We feel each individual’s fight for self-determinacy, including its ugly and oppressive aspects, across their life spans. In our conversation, Shorto and I talk about the insecurities and failures, the feelings of incompleteness, and the attempts at asserting or gussying up one’s self that drive the stories of all these historical subjects. The book slips and slides into ‘great’ events through wonderfully stark portraits of contingency, circumstance, and personality. What Shorto’s approach makes viscerally clear, and what we return to as we talk, is that no one person determined the Revolution more than any other, and no individual view contains all. This matters for the very reason that this Revolution song is no fiction. It is a history with many parts in contrapuntal relation that resolve only to hear a new dissonance and seek another resolution. It is a song we continue to sing. Michael Amico holds a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. His dissertation, The Forgotten Union of the Two Henrys: The True Story of the Peculiar and Rarest Intimacy of the American Civil War, is about the romance between Henry Clay Trumbull and Henry Ward Camp of the Tenth Connecticut Regiment. He is the author, with Michael Bronski and Ann Pellegrini, of “You Can Tell Just by Looking”: And 20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People (Beacon, 2013), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Nonfiction. He can be reached at mjamico@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russell Shorto‘s Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom (Norton, 2017) is a history of many revolutions, kaleidoscopic turns through six individual lives. There is Cornplanter, a leader of the Seneca Indians; George Germain, who led the British war strategy during the Revolution; Margaret Moncrieffe Coghlan, the daughter of a British major; the always worried and wearied George Washington; Venture Smith, an African slave who eventually purchased his freedom in Connecticut; and Abraham Yates, the self-taught rabble rouser from Albany who helped shape the politics of New York, and the country. With each turn in their stories, these six lives continuously remerge and recolor the text, and together make one Revolution. Shorto keeps the reader on the ground, so that we can see how the term “freedom,” among other concepts of the time, gained its meaning and importance. We feel each individual’s fight for self-determinacy, including its ugly and oppressive aspects, across their life spans. In our conversation, Shorto and I talk about the insecurities and failures, the feelings of incompleteness, and the attempts at asserting or gussying up one’s self that drive the stories of all these historical subjects. The book slips and slides into ‘great’ events through wonderfully stark portraits of contingency, circumstance, and personality. What Shorto’s approach makes viscerally clear, and what we return to as we talk, is that no one person determined the Revolution more than any other, and no individual view contains all. This matters for the very reason that this Revolution song is no fiction. It is a history with many parts in contrapuntal relation that resolve only to hear a new dissonance and seek another resolution. It is a song we continue to sing. Michael Amico holds a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. His dissertation, The Forgotten Union of the Two Henrys: The True Story of the Peculiar and Rarest Intimacy of the American Civil War, is about the romance between Henry Clay Trumbull and Henry Ward Camp of the Tenth Connecticut Regiment. He is the author, with Michael Bronski and Ann Pellegrini, of “You Can Tell Just by Looking”: And 20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People (Beacon, 2013), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Nonfiction. He can be reached at mjamico@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russell Shorto‘s Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom (Norton, 2017) is a history of many revolutions, kaleidoscopic turns through six individual lives. There is Cornplanter, a leader of the Seneca Indians; George Germain, who led the British war strategy during the Revolution; Margaret Moncrieffe Coghlan, the daughter of a British major; the always worried and wearied George Washington; Venture Smith, an African slave who eventually purchased his freedom in Connecticut; and Abraham Yates, the self-taught rabble rouser from Albany who helped shape the politics of New York, and the country. With each turn in their stories, these six lives continuously remerge and recolor the text, and together make one Revolution. Shorto keeps the reader on the ground, so that we can see how the term “freedom,” among other concepts of the time, gained its meaning and importance. We feel each individual’s fight for self-determinacy, including its ugly and oppressive aspects, across their life spans. In our conversation, Shorto and I talk about the insecurities and failures, the feelings of incompleteness, and the attempts at asserting or gussying up one’s self that drive the stories of all these historical subjects. The book slips and slides into ‘great’ events through wonderfully stark portraits of contingency, circumstance, and personality. What Shorto’s approach makes viscerally clear, and what we return to as we talk, is that no one person determined the Revolution more than any other, and no individual view contains all. This matters for the very reason that this Revolution song is no fiction. It is a history with many parts in contrapuntal relation that resolve only to hear a new dissonance and seek another resolution. It is a song we continue to sing. Michael Amico holds a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. His dissertation, The Forgotten Union of the Two Henrys: The True Story of the Peculiar and Rarest Intimacy of the American Civil War, is about the romance between Henry Clay Trumbull and Henry Ward Camp of the Tenth Connecticut Regiment. He is the author, with Michael Bronski and Ann Pellegrini, of “You Can Tell Just by Looking”: And 20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People (Beacon, 2013), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Nonfiction. He can be reached at mjamico@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russell Shorto‘s Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom (Norton, 2017) is a history of many revolutions, kaleidoscopic turns through six individual lives. There is Cornplanter, a leader of the Seneca Indians; George Germain, who led the British war strategy during the Revolution; Margaret Moncrieffe Coghlan, the daughter of a British major; the always worried and wearied George Washington; Venture Smith, an African slave who eventually purchased his freedom in Connecticut; and Abraham Yates, the self-taught rabble rouser from Albany who helped shape the politics of New York, and the country. With each turn in their stories, these six lives continuously remerge and recolor the text, and together make one Revolution. Shorto keeps the reader on the ground, so that we can see how the term “freedom,” among other concepts of the time, gained its meaning and importance. We feel each individual’s fight for self-determinacy, including its ugly and oppressive aspects, across their life spans. In our conversation, Shorto and I talk about the insecurities and failures, the feelings of incompleteness, and the attempts at asserting or gussying up one’s self that drive the stories of all these historical subjects. The book slips and slides into ‘great’ events through wonderfully stark portraits of contingency, circumstance, and personality. What Shorto’s approach makes viscerally clear, and what we return to as we talk, is that no one person determined the Revolution more than any other, and no individual view contains all. This matters for the very reason that this Revolution song is no fiction. It is a history with many parts in contrapuntal relation that resolve only to hear a new dissonance and seek another resolution. It is a song we continue to sing. Michael Amico holds a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. His dissertation, The Forgotten Union of the Two Henrys: The True Story of the Peculiar and Rarest Intimacy of the American Civil War, is about the romance between Henry Clay Trumbull and Henry Ward Camp of the Tenth Connecticut Regiment. He is the author, with Michael Bronski and Ann Pellegrini, of “You Can Tell Just by Looking”: And 20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People (Beacon, 2013), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Nonfiction. He can be reached at mjamico@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russell Shorto‘s Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom (Norton, 2017) is a history of many revolutions, kaleidoscopic turns through six individual lives. There is Cornplanter, a leader of the Seneca Indians; George Germain, who led the British war strategy during the Revolution; Margaret Moncrieffe Coghlan, the daughter of a British major; the always worried and wearied George Washington; Venture Smith, an African slave who eventually purchased his freedom in Connecticut; and Abraham Yates, the self-taught rabble rouser from Albany who helped shape the politics of New York, and the country. With each turn in their stories, these six lives continuously remerge and recolor the text, and together make one Revolution. Shorto keeps the reader on the ground, so that we can see how the term “freedom,” among other concepts of the time, gained its meaning and importance. We feel each individual’s fight for self-determinacy, including its ugly and oppressive aspects, across their life spans. In our conversation, Shorto and I talk about the insecurities and failures, the feelings of incompleteness, and the attempts at asserting or gussying up one’s self that drive the stories of all these historical subjects. The book slips and slides into ‘great’ events through wonderfully stark portraits of contingency, circumstance, and personality. What Shorto’s approach makes viscerally clear, and what we return to as we talk, is that no one person determined the Revolution more than any other, and no individual view contains all. This matters for the very reason that this Revolution song is no fiction. It is a history with many parts in contrapuntal relation that resolve only to hear a new dissonance and seek another resolution. It is a song we continue to sing. Michael Amico holds a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. His dissertation, The Forgotten Union of the Two Henrys: The True Story of the Peculiar and Rarest Intimacy of the American Civil War, is about the romance between Henry Clay Trumbull and Henry Ward Camp of the Tenth Connecticut Regiment. He is the author, with Michael Bronski and Ann Pellegrini, of “You Can Tell Just by Looking”: And 20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People (Beacon, 2013), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Nonfiction. He can be reached at mjamico@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On The Gist, why Alabama’s decrepitude is not incidental to Roy Moore’s competitive bid for Senate.  In the interview, Russell Shorto tells the stories of six people living through the Revolutionary War—one is George Washington; the other five, you’ve probably never heard of. Shorto’s book is Revolution Song. In the Spiel, a counterpoint to Jill Filipovic’s New York Times column arguing that the sexual harassers who covered the election threw the whole thing to Donald Trump.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On The Gist, why Alabama’s decrepitude is not incidental to Roy Moore’s competitive bid for Senate.  In the interview, Russell Shorto tells the stories of six people living through the Revolutionary War—one is George Washington; the other five, you’ve probably never heard of. Shorto’s book is Revolution Song. In the Spiel, a counterpoint to Jill Filipovic’s New York Times column arguing that the sexual harassers who covered the election threw the whole thing to Donald Trump.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of We Dig Plants we welcome Russell Shorto, an American author, historian, and journalist best known for his book on the Dutch origins of New York City, The Island at the Center of the World. The book is currently being developed into a dramatic series for PBS with Ridley Scott and David Zucker as executive producers. Shorto and hosts Carmen Devito and Alice Marcus Krieg discuss how so much of our American identity and horticultural heritage comes from the Dutch. “Just in general, when you’re doing history, you’re always going back and forth from, I can’t believe how different things were to, I can’t believe things are exactly the same.” [40:00] – Russell Shorto