Mannahatta

Starred review from May 4, 2009
In this brilliantly illustrated volume, Sanderson and Boyer recreate the ecology of Manhattan as it was that 1609 September afternoon when Henry Hudson first saw it, "prodigious in its abundance, resplendent in its diversity." The project began as a simple thought exercise, when senior Bronx Zoo ecologist Sanderson (Human Footprint: Challenges for Wilderness and Biodiversity) tried visualizing pre-colonial Manhattan, but was promoted to full-blown science project after Sanderson discovered an "extraordinary" 1776 British Headquarters Map detailing the island's natural terrain. Developing a "georeference" system to coordinate the old map, Sanderson "relates its depiction of the old hills and valleys to their modern addresses." From there, he reconstructs data missing from the historical record using standard scientific tools-examining pollen layers, tree rings, archeological information, etc. Sanderson's text integrates political and sociological history; examines the culture of the original inhabitants, the Lenape (their word Mannahatta means "Island of Many Hills"); and covers a wealth of ecological data; he even shares his vision for the ecologically sustainable city of 2409. This wise and beautiful book, sure to enthrall anyone interested in NYC history, boasts maps, charts, photos and artist renderings, thorough appendices (including Lenape place-names and Manhattan's flora and fauna), and an extensive section of "Notes, Sources, and Elaborations." 120 color illustrations.

Starred review from April 15, 2009
The pristine island of Mannahatta that Henry Hudson set foot upon in 1609 was known in the native Lenape language as "the island of many hills," where wolves and black bears roamed forests and meadows. Exactly 400 years later, the human footprint of the island has all but erased the erstwhile natural splendor, but, thanks to this book's striking images, we can at least glimpse what it was like. Sanderson, a landscape ecologist and New Yorker, spearheaded the Mannahatta Project to reconstruct Manhattan's ecological history. Using period maps, descriptions, archaeological findings, and a variety of other primary sources combined with some cutting-edge technologies for computational geography, Sanderson and illustrator Boyer produced vivid pictures of the forests, ponds, hills, wetlands, and other distinctive ecosystems that covered what was to become the concrete metropolis. Especially striking are split images that juxtapose today's urban patchwork with the same landscape, in its primeval splendor. The text describes the project itself, the lives of the indigenous peoples, the varied ecological neighborhoods, and a future peek at what New York City might look like in another 400 years. You don't have to be a New Yorker to be enthralled by this book. Highly recommended for all libraries. [The Mannahatta/Manhattan exhibition will be on display at the Museum of the City of New York, May 20Oct. 13.Ed.]Gregg Sapp, Evergreen State Coll., Olympia, WA

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2009
On September 12, 1609, Henry Hudson and his crew sailed up an estuarine river next to a large, wooded island. Hudson had found an island that, if it existed today as it did then, would be a crown jewel of the National Park System. Wildlife Conservation Society ecologist Sanderson discovered a map from the Revolutionary War, a map the British had produced while they occupied New York, which, along with human-made features, shows the topography and natural features of Manhattan Island. This British headquarters map, when laid over modern maps of the area, allowed the author a very precise look at the former ecology of the island. Sandersons marvelous in-depth research from this and other maps, plus early descriptions of Manhattan, reconstructs the natural history of the 1600s. When coupled with Markley Boyers fantastic illustrations depicting the island 400 years ago, which are often paired with photographs of the same scenes today, the reader is transported to a time when humans had a much smaller footprint on the area.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)