A History of New York

A satirical romp through New York history-from the father of the American short story In 1809, New Yorkers were buzzing about a series of classified ads concerning the whereabouts of Dutch historian Diedrich Knickerbocker. But who was this Knickerbocker? Pure invention: the creation of Washington Irving to drum up interest in his first solo book, A History of New York. Told from Knickerbocker's point of view, A History of New York is a chronicle of New York's fifty years under Dutch rule in the 1600s that plays fast and loose with the facts, to uproarious effect. Irving's good-humored spoofing had staying power, and his satire provided the city with its first self-portrait. A History of New York propelled Irving to the heights of literary stardom and even made a little history of its own: New Yorkers are called Knickerbockers to this day. Introduction and Notes by ELIZABETH L. BRADLEY