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The Hudson: A History
A vivid history of the Hudson River and how it has fired the American imagination for four hundred years
Flowing through a valley of sublime scenery, the Hudson River uniquely connects America’s past with its present and future. This book traces the course of the river through four centuries, recounting the stories of explorers and traders, artists and writers, entrepreneurs and industrialists, ecologists and preservationists—those who have been shaped by the river as well as those who have helped shape it. Their compelling narratives attest to the Hudson River’s distinctive place in American history and the American imagination. Among those who have figured in the history of the Hudson are Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Astors and the Vanderbilts, and Thomas Cole of the Hudson River school. Their stories appear here, alongside those of such less famous individuals as the surveyor who found the source of the Hudson and the engineer who tried to build a hydroelectric plant at Storm King Mountain. Inviting us to view the river from a wider perspective than ever before, this entertaining and enlightening book is worthy of its grand subject.
Flowing through a valley of sublime scenery, the Hudson River uniquely connects America’s past with its present and future. This book traces the course of the river through four centuries, recounting the stories of explorers and traders, artists and writers, entrepreneurs and industrialists, ecologists and preservationists—those who have been shaped by the river as well as those who have helped shape it. Their compelling narratives attest to the Hudson River’s distinctive place in American history and the American imagination. Among those who have figured in the history of the Hudson are Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Astors and the Vanderbilts, and Thomas Cole of the Hudson River school. Their stories appear here, alongside those of such less famous individuals as the surveyor who found the source of the Hudson and the engineer who tried to build a hydroelectric plant at Storm King Mountain. Inviting us to view the river from a wider perspective than ever before, this entertaining and enlightening book is worthy of its grand subject.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
31 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Thomas S. Lewis
4 booksThomas S. Lewis is a professor emeritus of English at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 27, 2013
It's a beautiful book (although some of the reproductions of paintings are dark), but content-wise, I found it disappointing. Nearly half of the book focuses on the 1700's, primarily Manhattan and the lower Hudson, but explores this somewhat superficially. For a really intriguing alternative, see The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto. The Hudson does become more intriguing in the latter half, and the writing seems to have more life then; for instance, the author uses a trip by Lincoln to explore several towns and events along his/its course. But the modern era especially gets short-shrift.
July 25, 2007
An OK book, but I didn't think it held together well...there are a few interesting stories but it drags on in places...and the most interesting part of the story, the clean-up effort, gets almost no space at all...
November 2, 2021
I took this book with me on a recent trip to New England, intending to start reading it on my return trip by way of the Hudson River Valley. Unfortunately, the Hudson River Valley shuts down tighter than a drum on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the two days we spent traveling through it. I don't know if this is a seasonal thing or a Covid-related one, but it meant we were unable to experience Boscobel, Washington Irving's Sunnyside and several other sites we had hoped to see. In the event, we blew off our intended AirBnB stay in Tarrytown on Wednesday and headed for home a little earlier than we had intended.
Consequently, I didn't get into Lewis' excellent history of the Hudson River and its denizens until we were safely home. Too bad, because having this under my belt (along with not making the trek in midweek) would have made our visit to the area much more meaningful.
If your interest in history for history's sake, then Lewis skillfully explains the river's leading role in America's exploration, fight for independence, industrial and cultural development and awakening to the need to conserve and preserve our environment, and he does so without ever getting into the weeds, keeping the reader fully engaged and eager to learn what happens next.
The Hudson River Valley is gorgeous in the fall (I'd imagine it's pretty nice year-round), but there is more history here than perhaps anyplace in the entire United States. Lewis's book arms would-be travelers an understanding of and appreciation for that history, making it an especially essential read for anyone living in or visiting the area.
Consequently, I didn't get into Lewis' excellent history of the Hudson River and its denizens until we were safely home. Too bad, because having this under my belt (along with not making the trek in midweek) would have made our visit to the area much more meaningful.
If your interest in history for history's sake, then Lewis skillfully explains the river's leading role in America's exploration, fight for independence, industrial and cultural development and awakening to the need to conserve and preserve our environment, and he does so without ever getting into the weeds, keeping the reader fully engaged and eager to learn what happens next.
The Hudson River Valley is gorgeous in the fall (I'd imagine it's pretty nice year-round), but there is more history here than perhaps anyplace in the entire United States. Lewis's book arms would-be travelers an understanding of and appreciation for that history, making it an especially essential read for anyone living in or visiting the area.
February 22, 2009
Very interesting book but as it tells the history of the Hudson through illustrative episodes, much is left out and anyone familiar with the river will feel cheated that their own favorite place or story didn't make it into the book
September 29, 2011
I couldn't make it through this book. Maybe I'll try again another time. I got bored reading the Dutch history, since it's not written with anything like the skill that Island at the Center of the World is written.
November 28, 2010
Not as bad as I thought....but a little scattered. Read Island at the Center of the World instead.
July 12, 2024
This isn't a famous book by a famous author, but it's actually one of the best nonfiction books I've read recently.
--It's well written; the language isn't gorgeous, but it flows (ha ha pun) easily and clearly.
--It avoids the pitfall of most nonfiction--repetition. The author doesn't seem to feel the need to say the same thing 5 times or to keep circling back, and as a result, it's less than 800 pages. In fact, it's less than 300. You can carry it comfortably on the subway.
--Most important, of course, the topic is fascinating, original, significant, and well-researched. This book traces the story of New York's Hudson River from its prehistoric/geologic creation, through the crucial role it played in the American Revolution, the development of the U.S. economy, the definition of congressional powers, and even (indirectly) the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Sure, like most nonfiction, this book may exaggerate the importance of its subject matter, but author Tom Lewis makes a good case, for instance, for how key it was for George Washington and his American troops to maintain control of the Hudson against the British, something I'd never thought about. (Also, you'll learn what the Vanderbilt family name was originally.)
--It's well written; the language isn't gorgeous, but it flows (ha ha pun) easily and clearly.
--It avoids the pitfall of most nonfiction--repetition. The author doesn't seem to feel the need to say the same thing 5 times or to keep circling back, and as a result, it's less than 800 pages. In fact, it's less than 300. You can carry it comfortably on the subway.
--Most important, of course, the topic is fascinating, original, significant, and well-researched. This book traces the story of New York's Hudson River from its prehistoric/geologic creation, through the crucial role it played in the American Revolution, the development of the U.S. economy, the definition of congressional powers, and even (indirectly) the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Sure, like most nonfiction, this book may exaggerate the importance of its subject matter, but author Tom Lewis makes a good case, for instance, for how key it was for George Washington and his American troops to maintain control of the Hudson against the British, something I'd never thought about. (Also, you'll learn what the Vanderbilt family name was originally.)
February 7, 2018
I acquired a love for the Hudson during the years I lived in Manhattan. Whether viewed from the vantage of car, train, boat or on foot, its beauty delighted me. I have had this book on my TBR list since its publication, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Lewis provides a view of the Hudson as the force of nature it is, as well as from artistic and historical perspectives. He profiles some of the characters, well-known and obscure, who shaped life on the river's banks from the colonial period to the early 21st century. Whether or not one loves the Hudson, or has even seen the Hudson, this book will be an interesting read.
Two quibbles: 1) there are many illustrations, including paintings of the "Hudson River School." Having them in color would have made their inclusion much more effective (though probably the cost would have been prohibitive). 2) Lewis concludes the book with an excerpt from a poem. Perhaps the poem would have been effective if read aloud by, say, Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones. But it fell very flat on the page, and was a weak ending for an otherwise wonderful book.
Lewis provides a view of the Hudson as the force of nature it is, as well as from artistic and historical perspectives. He profiles some of the characters, well-known and obscure, who shaped life on the river's banks from the colonial period to the early 21st century. Whether or not one loves the Hudson, or has even seen the Hudson, this book will be an interesting read.
Two quibbles: 1) there are many illustrations, including paintings of the "Hudson River School." Having them in color would have made their inclusion much more effective (though probably the cost would have been prohibitive). 2) Lewis concludes the book with an excerpt from a poem. Perhaps the poem would have been effective if read aloud by, say, Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones. But it fell very flat on the page, and was a weak ending for an otherwise wonderful book.
August 19, 2019
First, yes, I did read this entire book in three days. I didn’t just decide to review a book that I read awhile ago. That’s what happens when you’re living apart from your family.
More to the point, this is an artfully done book, though it does have flaws. It’s broken up primarily by what one might consider “eras” in the history of the Hudson, though these are of wildly varying lengths—one of them is the majority of its geological history, and the remainder extend from approximately 1600 until the present (the book is more than a decade old now).
One of the strongest points for me is the theme that people are transitory. People are always there of course, but they never stay for long. The passage about Lincoln passing through the valley en route to his inauguration really reinforces that. We Americans are used to him being lionized as one of the Great Americans. And he is. But in the context of the Hudson River, he is transitory. He passes through the book for a few pages, then returns a few pages later to see some new cannon tested, and then he never again appears, even indirectly. The message, to me, is that the river (and more broadly, Earth) is here and is eternal, and we’re just temporary.
The book’s main detriment though is that is jumps around. It is somewhat based on subject, but because many of the human subjects’ lifetimes overlap, there is a bit of skipping around temporally.
Overall though, this is a small complaint. It was a great book to learn about the place I live. It wouldn’t have been the same had I read it when I moved here because I wasn’t as familiar. Now that I know the names of all the cities and many of the landforms, the book really struck a chord with me.
December 6, 2020
A little rambling/sprawling, but good for a leisurely read, and touches on the important/seminal aspects of the Hudson River -- its geology, wealthy Dutch patroons, key Revolutionary War history, the storied Hudson River School of Painting, the Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow writers, Industry and Transportation, and a final chapter on ecological recovery and restoration. Its slow movement parallels the river's, and much of its magic is, if not exactly captured, at least evoked in this book. As a native of the Delaware Valley, I found myself frequently comparing and contrasting. But there is something more majestic and less utilitarian about the Hudson when compared to the Delaware -- if only in its physicality, with the palisades and cliffs, and the wide expanse of Tappan Zee, and of course THE LIGHT.
August 20, 2025
A superbly written history of the Hudson River valley, from its geologic beginnings to 2005. Lewis describes the Henry Hudson discovery, the early Dutch settlers, the development on the banks of the river, the Revolutionary War battles, the idealized vision of artists like Thomas Cole, the creation of the Erie Canal and railroads, the importance of industry during the Civil War, the rise of the Gilded Age robber barons, the unchecked pollution of the river and the first realization that the environment matters and that its destruction has consequences.
His vivid anecdotes and historical references to major characters bring this book to life, especially if the reader has lived or traveled extensively along the Hudson from its beginnings at "Tear of the Clouds" in the Adirondacks to Verrazano Narrows at the end of the estuary.
His vivid anecdotes and historical references to major characters bring this book to life, especially if the reader has lived or traveled extensively along the Hudson from its beginnings at "Tear of the Clouds" in the Adirondacks to Verrazano Narrows at the end of the estuary.
April 4, 2019
Readable history of the Hudson Valley. Light on the 20th century, but lots of intriguing tidbits: More slaves in NYC than anywhere but Charleston at onset of Revolutionary War; NYC was getting 40% of every cotton trade dollar by Civil War; Dutch built a ditch in 1652 to stop English attacks--now known as Wall Street.
January 12, 2019
Don't take these poor two starts to heart
My interest lagged before the start
I told a friend I'd read it all
and this sure ain't my Parsifal
The old saying once more proved true
Take care with what you say you'll do
My interest lagged before the start
I told a friend I'd read it all
and this sure ain't my Parsifal
The old saying once more proved true
Take care with what you say you'll do
February 19, 2024
This is home, where I grew up- on the Hudson River. I love the history and the vivid imagery of going back in time and following the evolution of the beautiful and the special Hudson Valley. This book should have more 5-star ratings.
May 24, 2025
This is a comprehensive overview of the significance of the Hudson River told from various perspectives: political, cultural, geographical, etc. The reading experience was only enhanced by reading it while actually living on the river!
November 26, 2019
A decent overview but not a definitive history. Lots of tongue-in-check language.
July 5, 2020
NF-history
282 pages
Informative. Interesting. Very enjoyable.
The Hudson River has an amazing history.
282 pages
Informative. Interesting. Very enjoyable.
The Hudson River has an amazing history.
September 18, 2020
Content excellent. One gripe: the pictures and maps were grainy, small, and black and white. They should be color! And in good resolution so you can actually appreciate them!
July 18, 2009
I picked this book up a week ago, just after seeing a northerly section of the Hudson - near Saratoga Springs and the Saratoga battlefield in upstate New York - and hoping that the book would offer a decent history of the river. Lewis certainly fulfills that hope, writing a wonderful overview of the discovery and settlement of the river, which was unusually important in early American history (from about 1600 to 1850), and not only because it was the waterway which New York City could use as its highway into the continent. Among other topics, Lewis discusses Henry Hudson, the river's European discoverer; early Dutch settlers up and down the river; the coming of British dominance and then Britain's loss of the river to the new United States; and the centrality of the river in 19th c. American visual and literary art. A concluding few sections treat, somewhat less satisfyingly, 20th century topics such as environmentalists' battle against Con Ed's plan to destroy Storm King Mountain for a hydroelectric project. (I expected more on the environmental history of the river, but there is relatively little such content.)
All in all, this is a wonderful, fluently written, and satisfying look at the history of the river. My only regret is that I didn't read this before my trip, or I'd have known to have seen the river further south, along the great fjord that begins south of Albany. A cruise up the Hudson from New York to Albany sounds like a future dream vacation.
The book is full of excellent, illustrative anecdotes, but this is my favorite one:
"On a cool and brilliant June day in 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England arrived at Hyde Park for a weekend visit. Roosevelt and the king drank cocktails in the library, spent an afternoon chatting on the lawn overlooking the Hudson, and the following morning attended services in St. James' Episcopal Church. Afterward Roosevelt escorted the royal couple up to Top Cottage, a new fieldstone structure he had designed. There everyone feasted on American luncheon favorites, Virginia ham, turkey, and hot dogs. It was said that George --for by this time the presidnt had abolished formalities between them completely--ate two. Later, Anglophile criitcs said that hot dogs were not the dish to serve a king and queen, and certainly no one should address the royal couple the way the president had. But Roosevelt brushed the criticism aside. After all, he said, his family had lived in New York for centuries longer than the royal family had lived in England. In the Hudson Valley, where his great-grandfather had settled until [sic:] 1813, he counted himself (through his wife) a descendant of Robert Livingson. Compared with the Roosevelts, the Windsors were mere arrivistes."
Fantastic.
All in all, this is a wonderful, fluently written, and satisfying look at the history of the river. My only regret is that I didn't read this before my trip, or I'd have known to have seen the river further south, along the great fjord that begins south of Albany. A cruise up the Hudson from New York to Albany sounds like a future dream vacation.
The book is full of excellent, illustrative anecdotes, but this is my favorite one:
"On a cool and brilliant June day in 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England arrived at Hyde Park for a weekend visit. Roosevelt and the king drank cocktails in the library, spent an afternoon chatting on the lawn overlooking the Hudson, and the following morning attended services in St. James' Episcopal Church. Afterward Roosevelt escorted the royal couple up to Top Cottage, a new fieldstone structure he had designed. There everyone feasted on American luncheon favorites, Virginia ham, turkey, and hot dogs. It was said that George --for by this time the presidnt had abolished formalities between them completely--ate two. Later, Anglophile criitcs said that hot dogs were not the dish to serve a king and queen, and certainly no one should address the royal couple the way the president had. But Roosevelt brushed the criticism aside. After all, he said, his family had lived in New York for centuries longer than the royal family had lived in England. In the Hudson Valley, where his great-grandfather had settled until [sic:] 1813, he counted himself (through his wife) a descendant of Robert Livingson. Compared with the Roosevelts, the Windsors were mere arrivistes."
Fantastic.
read-partially
April 10, 2010I posted the following at my GR group on 3/16/10:
===================================================
"Last night, at our library's book discussion group, they had a drawing and I won!
The book I won is signed copy of The Hudson: A History by Tom Lewis, a historian (GR lists 24 books) and a professor of English at Skidmore College.
"To me, this is a lovely coincidence because my first date with my husband back in 1959 was when he took me water-skiing on the Hudson River near the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown, NY. Also, since we recently celebrated our 50th Anniversary (of our marriage in 1960), this book is a perfect memento."
===================================================
I also added:
===================================================
"PS-The Hudson River passes through our city, Glens Falls, NY. In fact, what is now known as "Cooper's Cave" is located on the Hudson River in Glens Falls. (This is now a tour site.) The bedrock formation "served as an inspiration to James Fenimore Cooper in his historical novel, The Last of the Mohicans."
(quoted from Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glens_Fa...
"For further info, see:
http://external.oneonta.edu/cooper/ar...
"Also see this group's topic:
"_The Last of the Mohicans_ by James Fenimore Cooper (the book that made Glens Falls famous)"
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...
====================================================
===================================================
"Last night, at our library's book discussion group, they had a drawing and I won!
The book I won is signed copy of The Hudson: A History by Tom Lewis, a historian (GR lists 24 books) and a professor of English at Skidmore College.
"To me, this is a lovely coincidence because my first date with my husband back in 1959 was when he took me water-skiing on the Hudson River near the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown, NY. Also, since we recently celebrated our 50th Anniversary (of our marriage in 1960), this book is a perfect memento."
===================================================
I also added:
===================================================
"PS-The Hudson River passes through our city, Glens Falls, NY. In fact, what is now known as "Cooper's Cave" is located on the Hudson River in Glens Falls. (This is now a tour site.) The bedrock formation "served as an inspiration to James Fenimore Cooper in his historical novel, The Last of the Mohicans."
(quoted from Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glens_Fa...
"For further info, see:
http://external.oneonta.edu/cooper/ar...
"Also see this group's topic:
"_The Last of the Mohicans_ by James Fenimore Cooper (the book that made Glens Falls famous)"
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...
====================================================
August 18, 2016
A good, reasonably concise history of the first major waterway of colonial America. The author focuses on themes -- commerce, culture, progress, environmentalism -- as he moves through time, always pausing to remind the reader of the beauty and value of the river. This is definitely a 101 approach, with only occasional deeper focuses on an individual person or issue, so it is probably best taken as an initial guide to a subject with countless fascinating details. I read it as a background to understanding places I hope to see on a trip later this year and it serves that purpose splendidly.
January 17, 2012
I thought this was well-written and interesting. I learned about the American plan to stop the British advance during the Revolutionary War by putting a chain across the Hudson in the narrow part of the Hudson (the Hudson highlands), where West Point and the Appalachian Trail is. I learned about the environmental devastation caused by 19th century tanning. I learned about the ice trust, and lots of other interesting tidbits.
August 11, 2014
My husband gave this book to me as a gift because I love kayaking on the Hudson and have a background in history. The book is dry and reads like a textbook and I can only handle small bites at a time. This is my opinion and others may differ. (The print is tiny and tortuous and it will take me forever to finish.)
June 10, 2014
While some passages in this history were a bit slow and dry, The Hudson presented a detailed and interesting account of both the history and the cultural significance of this geographic region of the United States. I learned a lot about this area.
January 9, 2016
The first part dwells too long on the Dutch history which is boring. The chapter on the American Revolution was very good and the one on the arts was wonderful. Those two save the book. It does get better toward the end
February 13, 2010
Good book for Hudson's 400th.
January 19, 2009
This will no doubt serve as the blueprint for the inevitable PBS documentary. Decent survey of Hudson history, but rarely ranging far afield from things with which you're already familiar.
April 19, 2010
Interesting because I was on a NY History kick but not interesting enough to make me finish the book.
August 20, 2010
Took a bit to get into but once I did, I was enchanted. I was left wanting to know more about this national treasure. Fascinating!
October 28, 2013
Excellent narrative and history lesson of this fine river.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews