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The Resource The original knickerbocker : the life of Washington Irving, Andrew Burstein

The original knickerbocker : the life of Washington Irving, Andrew Burstein

Creator
Summary
  • Washington Irving-author, ambassador, politically connected Manhattanite and international icon-has somehow slipped from Americaʼs memory, and yet, his creations are still well known. Acclaimed historian Andrew Burstein returns Irving to the context of his native nineteenth century where he was an major celebrity-both a colorful comic genius and the first name in our national literature. Irving traveled through Europe and America, excavating tales and publishing social comentary, beloved childrenʼs stories, gothic drama, and picturesque history. He gave his young nation such enduring tales as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. His 1809 burlesque, A History of New York, popularized the figure of jolly old St. Nicholas, and gave birth to the modern American Christmas. Always toying with language, the original Knickerbocker called New York by the name ʺGotham.ʺ Before Irving, no American had earned his living as an author and American writers were entirely disparaged in England and Europe. His deft use of language delighted readers of the Romantic age and announced Americaʼs voice to the world. As his career advanced, Irving came to be appreciated as a serious historian, the first English-language biographer of Christopher Columbus and the author of a multi-volume life of George Washington. He also wrote of his travels in the Wild West of the 1830s and served as a U.S. ambassador to Spain, before retiring to his Dutch-inspired Hudson River sanctuary of Sunnyside, near Tarrytown, New York
  • With a historianʼs eye for scope and significance, Burstein situates this literary giant in a dynamic political world. Irving matured in the age of Jefferson and lived nearly until the Civil War. The weight of his personality is hard to overstate: while publicly parodying Jefferson, he interacted with such influential, albeit poorly understood figures as Aaron Burr, Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, as well as the writers Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Charles Dickens and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Burstein has managed to recapture the lost legacy of one of our nationʼs most outsized literary talents, revealing key sources of modern American culture. Irving was an American original and a citizen of the world. By showing Irving as a leading architect of the American personality Burstein has managed to reinvigorate the legacy of one our nationʼs most outsized literary talents as well as to help us better understand the country we live in. Also includes information on John Jacob Astor, Henry Brevoort, William Cullen Bryant, Lord Byron, DeWitt Clinton, Fitz-Greene Halleck, A History of New York, Indians, Ebenezer Irving, Peter Irving, Pierre Munro Irving, William Irving, Jr., Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Moore, John Murray II, James Kirke Paulding, Salmagundi, Sir Walter Scott, The Sketch Book, Gulian Crommelin Verplanck, etc
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
x, 420 pages, [8] pages of plates
Contents
  • Manhattanite
  • New York's lost past, 1783-1803
  • Early travels, 1803-1806
  • Whim-whams and a treason trial, 1806-1807
  • Meet Diedrich Knickerbocker, 1808-1809
  • Irving goes to war, sort of, 1810-1815
  • Years abroad
  • Rip Van Winkle awakes, 1815-1819
  • The Sketch book wins friends, 1819-1820
  • Romantic Europe, 1820-1824
  • Columbus's biographer, 1824-1828
  • The Alhambra's writer in residence, 1828-1832
  • Repatriation
  • Knickerbocker New York, 1832
  • A tour on the prairies, 1832-1834
  • Sunnyside, 1835-1845
  • In the shadow of George Washington, 1846-1859
  • The future of Rip Van Winkle
Isbn
9780465008537
Instance
Label
The original knickerbocker : the life of Washington Irving
Title
The original knickerbocker
Title remainder
the life of Washington Irving
Statement of responsibility
Andrew Burstein
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
  • Washington Irving-author, ambassador, politically connected Manhattanite and international icon-has somehow slipped from Americaʼs memory, and yet, his creations are still well known. Acclaimed historian Andrew Burstein returns Irving to the context of his native nineteenth century where he was an major celebrity-both a colorful comic genius and the first name in our national literature. Irving traveled through Europe and America, excavating tales and publishing social comentary, beloved childrenʼs stories, gothic drama, and picturesque history. He gave his young nation such enduring tales as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. His 1809 burlesque, A History of New York, popularized the figure of jolly old St. Nicholas, and gave birth to the modern American Christmas. Always toying with language, the original Knickerbocker called New York by the name ʺGotham.ʺ Before Irving, no American had earned his living as an author and American writers were entirely disparaged in England and Europe. His deft use of language delighted readers of the Romantic age and announced Americaʼs voice to the world. As his career advanced, Irving came to be appreciated as a serious historian, the first English-language biographer of Christopher Columbus and the author of a multi-volume life of George Washington. He also wrote of his travels in the Wild West of the 1830s and served as a U.S. ambassador to Spain, before retiring to his Dutch-inspired Hudson River sanctuary of Sunnyside, near Tarrytown, New York
  • With a historianʼs eye for scope and significance, Burstein situates this literary giant in a dynamic political world. Irving matured in the age of Jefferson and lived nearly until the Civil War. The weight of his personality is hard to overstate: while publicly parodying Jefferson, he interacted with such influential, albeit poorly understood figures as Aaron Burr, Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, as well as the writers Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Charles Dickens and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Burstein has managed to recapture the lost legacy of one of our nationʼs most outsized literary talents, revealing key sources of modern American culture. Irving was an American original and a citizen of the world. By showing Irving as a leading architect of the American personality Burstein has managed to reinvigorate the legacy of one our nationʼs most outsized literary talents as well as to help us better understand the country we live in. Also includes information on John Jacob Astor, Henry Brevoort, William Cullen Bryant, Lord Byron, DeWitt Clinton, Fitz-Greene Halleck, A History of New York, Indians, Ebenezer Irving, Peter Irving, Pierre Munro Irving, William Irving, Jr., Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Moore, John Murray II, James Kirke Paulding, Salmagundi, Sir Walter Scott, The Sketch Book, Gulian Crommelin Verplanck, etc
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Burstein, Andrew
Dewey number
  • 818/.209
  • B
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • maps
  • plates
Index
index present
LC call number
PS2081
LC item number
.B87 2007
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Irving, Washington
  • Authors, American
Label
The original knickerbocker : the life of Washington Irving, Andrew Burstein
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 399-407) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Manhattanite -- New York's lost past, 1783-1803 -- Early travels, 1803-1806 -- Whim-whams and a treason trial, 1806-1807 -- Meet Diedrich Knickerbocker, 1808-1809 -- Irving goes to war, sort of, 1810-1815 -- Years abroad -- Rip Van Winkle awakes, 1815-1819 -- The Sketch book wins friends, 1819-1820 -- Romantic Europe, 1820-1824 -- Columbus's biographer, 1824-1828 -- The Alhambra's writer in residence, 1828-1832 -- Repatriation -- Knickerbocker New York, 1832 -- A tour on the prairies, 1832-1834 -- Sunnyside, 1835-1845 -- In the shadow of George Washington, 1846-1859 -- The future of Rip Van Winkle
Control code
ocm71241971
Dimensions
24 cm.
Extent
x, 420 pages, [8] pages of plates
Isbn
9780465008537
Isbn Type
(alk. paper)
Lccn
2006029004
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps
Label
The original knickerbocker : the life of Washington Irving, Andrew Burstein
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 399-407) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Manhattanite -- New York's lost past, 1783-1803 -- Early travels, 1803-1806 -- Whim-whams and a treason trial, 1806-1807 -- Meet Diedrich Knickerbocker, 1808-1809 -- Irving goes to war, sort of, 1810-1815 -- Years abroad -- Rip Van Winkle awakes, 1815-1819 -- The Sketch book wins friends, 1819-1820 -- Romantic Europe, 1820-1824 -- Columbus's biographer, 1824-1828 -- The Alhambra's writer in residence, 1828-1832 -- Repatriation -- Knickerbocker New York, 1832 -- A tour on the prairies, 1832-1834 -- Sunnyside, 1835-1845 -- In the shadow of George Washington, 1846-1859 -- The future of Rip Van Winkle
Control code
ocm71241971
Dimensions
24 cm.
Extent
x, 420 pages, [8] pages of plates
Isbn
9780465008537
Isbn Type
(alk. paper)
Lccn
2006029004
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps

Subject

Genre

Library Locations

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