Knickerbocker's History of New York, Vol. 2
'Knickerbocker's History of New York, Vol. 2' Summary
Irving had previously published his compilation of sketches Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent. (1802) and headed a short-lived periodical called Salmagundi (1807–1808). He completed his satirical A History of New York in 1809 after the death of his 17-year-old fiancée Matilda Hoffman. It was his first major book and a satire on local history and contemporary politics. Before its publication, Irving started a hoax by placing a series of missing person advertisements in New York newspapers seeking information on Diedrich Knickerbocker, a Dutch historian who had allegedly gone missing from his hotel in New York City. As part of this guerilla marketing ruse, he placed a notice from the hotel's proprietor informing readers that, if Mr. Knickerbocker failed to return to the hotel to pay his bill, he would publish a manuscript that Knickerbocker had left behind.
Unsuspecting readers followed the story of Knickerbocker and his manuscript with interest, and some New York city officials were concerned enough about the missing historian to offer a reward for his safe return. Irving then published A History of New York on December 6, 1809 under the Knickerbocker pseudonym, with immediate critical and popular success. "It took with the public", Irving remarked, "and gave me celebrity, as an original work was something remarkable and uncommon in America". The name Diedrich Knickerbocker became a nickname for Manhattan residents in general and was adopted by the New York Knickerbockers basketball team.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1809Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
Washington Irving
United States
Irving is largely credited as the first American Man of Letters and the first to earn his living solely by his pen. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow acknowledged Irving's role in promoting American literatu...
More on Washington IrvingDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Westminster Larger Catechism by Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Larger Catechism, along with the Westminster Shorter Catechism, is a central catechism of Calvinists in the English tradition througho...
Migration of Birds by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Do you ever wonder how birds know when to migrate? The FWS book explains the science behind bird migration, and it also provides information on the d...
Montcalm and Wolfe, Volume 2 by Francis Parkman
Montcalm and Wolfe is the sixth volume in Francis Parkman's seven-volume history, France and England in North America, originally published in 1884. I...
Ukraina and the Peace-conference by Stanislav Dnistriansky
It explores the events that took place during the Peace Conference of Paris in 1919 and the impact it had on Ukraine's struggle for independence. Writ...
The Chronicles of America Volume 02 - The Spanish Conquerors by Irving Berdine Richman
"Amidst the thirst for gold and the quest for power, a riveting tale of conquest and ambition unfolds. Step into the dramatic world of 'The Spanish Co...
A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great, Vol 2 by John Bagnell Bury
A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great was first published in 1900. It went on to become a standard text in many colleges and was use...
The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses of Theodore Roosevelt by Theodore Roosevelt
The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses (1910) is a collection of Theodore Roosevelt’s published commentaries and public addresses on what is necessa...
The Bird Study Book by Thomas Gilbert Pearson
In the Preface to The Bird Study Book, Pearson tells us “This book was written for the consideration of that ever-increasing class of Americans who ar...
The Soul of the Indian by Charles Eastman
"We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us their children. It teaches us to be thankful, to be united...
The Citizen's Almanac by United States of America
New citizens of the United States were given this pamphlet when they became citizens. The Citizen's Almanac contains information on the history, peopl...
Reviews for Knickerbocker's History of New York, Vol. 2
No reviews posted or approved, yet...