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Elizabeth L. Bradley

Knickerbocker: The Myth behind New York Hardcover – Illustrated, May 27, 2009

by Elizabeth L. Bradley (Author)

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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 Cityùthemed 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."

Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Rutgers University Press
Publication date

May 27, 2009
Reading age

16 years and up
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0813545161
ISBN-13

978-0813545165
See all details

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Diedrich Knickerbocker, a fictional man of stature, flamboyance and Dutch lineage, gets a history and identity worthy of New York's swagger in this exploration by Bradley (a contributor to The Encyclopedia of New York City) of how Knickerbocker shaped the city's identity. The narrator of Washington Irving's A History of New York, Knickerbocker has charmed readers since 1809 with his half-fantastical urban history, one that inspired local pride at a time when, according to Bradley, the city faced an identity crisis. Peppered with anecdotes, such as Knickerbocker's claiming of the doughnut for his city, Bradley's account maintains that the proud Dutchman inspired New Yorkers to assert their own idiosyncratic relationship to the city, and to its history. Knickerbocker was appropriated: for political gain during FDR's presidency, commercial reward for countless businesses and sports promotion for teams like the New York Knicks. While Bradley's flat prose fails to match the Knickerbocker's largesse, literary historians and proud New Yorkers alike will delight in the character who brought pomp and legend to the city first nicknamed Gotham by Washington Irving 200 years ago. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

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

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

"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

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rutgers University Press; 1St Edition (May 27, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0813545161
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0813545165
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,737,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,894 in Sociology of Urban Areas
- #4,897 in Journalist Biographies
- #7,175 in American Literature Criticism

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Elizabeth L. Bradley

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Elizabeth L. Bradley is the author of New York and Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York, and the editor of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories and A History of New York. She has contributed to the Morbid Anatomy Anthology, Dutch New York, the Cambridge Companion to the Literature of New York, and the Encyclopedia of New York City, and has written about New York history, culture, and food for The New York Times, Salon, Gothamist, Smithsonian Magazine, Edible Manhattan/Brooklyn, and Bookforum, among other publications.

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Harry Matthews

The history of a famous brand

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

Washington Irving invented Diedrich Knickerbocker, the character who became a symbol for everything authentically New York. Elizabeth Bradley traces the fascinating process by which his name came to be associated with a range of phenomena and products. Her account tells us a lot about how New Yorkers see themselves and how the world sees New York. Alas for the author, the Knickerbocker name and legend have faded in recent decades and her later chapters feel like padding.

Nonetheless, she offers a thorough, well-written account of what is arguably the oldest and best known "brand" in America.

3 people found this helpful

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Simon DelMonte

A Questionable Slog

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 14, 2021

Dully written, a bit disorganized, and any historian who says that Abner Doubleday invented baseball is of questionable skill since that myth was debunked long ago.

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Bartleby

Solid, thoughtful history

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 22, 2015

Verified Purchase

Wonderful look at the character first created by Washington Irving and since embraced by generations of New Yorkers. If you ever wondered how the New York Knicks got their name, this book is for you. I'm looking forward to other books the author has written or edited about New York history.

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