Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City

Illustrations by Markley Boyer Sanderson and Boyer turn detective to create a probabilistic time machine and show a plausible picture of what Manhattan could have looked like in 1609 when it was first seen by European eyes. While Boer's name is in smaller font on the cover, in reality he deserves at least equal billing because his photo-realistic overhead images of 1609 Mannahatta are spectacular enough to rate this a 5-star "What a classic!" Sanderson's text is just detailed and scientific enough to enable the general reader to understand the difficulty of the effort and the detective nature of the work, without pulling the reader's eyes from the pictures too long. His explanation of finding the British Headquarters Map from the Revolutionary War and figuring out how to reference it to modern GPS data points to have a precise, high-resolution framework for the ecological extrapolations is better than the stuff of movies. The paper, graphics, and binding are all first rate, making this book a pleasure to hold and study closely. In some ways, this is a back-to-front version of The World Without Us, Alan Weisman's look forward to a post-human world. In both cases, the authors pick and extrapolate from available data, make realistic assumptions, and provide real-world comparative examples to show us interesting things about a world we will never be able to see without their vision. Even if you are not from New York City and have only a passing interest in it as a place to live, work, or play, the rich natural and human history of the place make this a fascinating book to daydream over.

Eric Sanderson is a landscape ecologist who after moving to New York City a decade ago became obsessed with the question of what NYC looked like on the eve of the arrival of European explorers (1609). Sanderson eventually saw a 1782/83 British military map that laid out the topography of the entirety of Manhattan in great detail at a time when the city was still confined to the southern tip of the island -- great detail, that is, except for the actual height of the many hills depicted (in the language of the Lenape Indians, the name was originally "Island of Many Hills"). Eventually, Sanderson was able to establish the original heights of the hills from a variety of sources, including early 19th century surveying records and modern investigation of surviving bedrock outcroppings. (Over the course of many decades, most of the hills of Manhattan had been lowered or completely leveled and low land filled in.) Using this data and the British military map and other maps and drawings, Sanderson constructed an intricate computer model of the island's 1609 topography, and mated this model with a wealth of information about ecosystems of coastal regions of the northeast US, yielding quite literally a detailed picture of 1609 Manhattan, a picture unveiled in numerous computer-generated images and maps reproduced in Sanderson's new book "Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City".It is almost as if we were looking at aerial photographs taken on the day that Henry Hudson first sailed up the river that later bore his name. Sanderson, by the way, is quite careful not to describe 1609 as being viginally primeval and untouched; instead, he points out that the native Lenapes had a profound impact on that landscape, especially regarding the open grasslands of Harlem (the Lenapes used fire to clear forest for agricultural purposes and to keep the land clear -- the earliest European explorers made note of the large grassy fields.). Altogether, this is an extraordinarily vivid window into a vanished world. But, Sanderson goes on to project how Manhattan may look in another 400 years, if we pay heed to the necessity of creating a more sustainable urban landscape.

Posted June 18, 2009, 10:56 AM EST: I have not been able to put this book down since my financée purchased it for me three weeks ago. Sanderson's account of the early history of Manhattan is truly remarkable. I am a native Manhattanite oft thought of as a country boy stuck in a city body. This book explains why. Manhattan, in its roots, is a majestic tapestry of trees, ponds, streams, bogs, grasslands, fauna and floral. It was as abundant in its diverse ecosystems as is Brooklyn in its immigrant populations. It was every bit as wild with birds and bees buzzing and bears and wolves howling as it is today with young singles in Murray Hill pining after each other in the local bars or Wall Street yuppies crowing at the sound of the opening bell. Sanderson's prose is elegant, weaving history lessons and anecdotal snippets of information into an elaborate portrait of Mannahatta's lush landscape. He brings this lost world to life with clarity in non-judgmental fashion- a remarkable work. A truly unforgettable experience; you will never look at Manhattan in the same way again.

This is an excellent book for naturalists, urban explorers and those who are just plain curious about Manhattan. Long before George Washington retreated up the length of the island, Manhattan was a pristine wilderness inhabited by a First American tribe or two. Having finished the book over two weekends I have a new appreciation for the island's topography which can still be experienced as Marathon runners struggle up First Avenue, one drives from 57th St down to 42nd St on Broadway and hikes up a rather steep hill on Lexington Avenue from 106th St. to 96th St. and its natural beauty as evidenced by a spectacular harbor, Mt Morris Park and its northern forested area. The photos and other illustrations complement an engaging and fascinating text. A truly beautiful work.

Sprinkled throughout this book are 12 digitally-rendered aerial "photos" of New York in 1409, often featured as before-and-after comparisons of present-day Manhattan. These are beautiful and utterly fascinating images and are the heart of this volume and the program behind it (WCS's Mannahatta Project). The book is also chock-full of historic and computer-rendered maps, wildlife and ecosystem photos and other illustrations. Sanderson's text is informative, entertaining and not preachy. Through this excellent book, the reader not only learns about the natural history of NYC but sees it as a microcosm of the human impacts on landscapes across the continent and world. The writing style and tone remind me of the excellent "World Without Us" but with the added bonus of being heavily illustrated. I only wish that there were more of the large-format digital before-and-after Manhatta Project photos... a coffee table book would be justified! Highest recommendation (and a must-own if you live in or love NYC).