History of Brooklyn

By: Brian Purnell, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Brian Purnell

If you look closely at the City of New York, you will find that it does not conform to a single, all-encompassing metropolitan identity. Rather, the city is made up of five boroughs—districts that operate almost like their own, smaller cities, with their own distinct identities and histories. Located on the western end of Long Island is the most populous of these singular regions: Brooklyn. And its rich and varied past deserves a closer look.

Over the course of the 11 lectures of The History of Brooklyn, Professor Brian Purnell will lead you through the story of this vibrant settlement, from the time when Native Americans fished and farmed the area all the way up to Brooklyn’s present-day renaissance. Throughout this exploration, you’ll see that Brooklyn has always been much more than merely a part of New York City. You’ll meet the many people and witness the various events that shaped this neighborhood and made it a landmark in the story of America.

Brooklyn has been a place of thriving working class and immigrant communities, a place of literature and culture, where bountiful space enabled New York City to stretch out and become a global metropolis. Brooklyn’s constant social and economic ups and downs, its tensions and conflicts around race and class, its recent revival and renaissance are all windows into America’s wider national history.

When the British Army first arrived in the soon-to-be United States to quell the rising colonial rebellion, Brooklyn was where they landed. Centuries later, this region is, as it always has been, a microcosm of the larger social and economic trends shaping the nation. As the journalist Ralph Foster Weld wrote in 1950, “Brooklyn Is America.”

©2022 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.

A history lesson

Like sitting in a classroom being told the history of Brooklyn. A lot of good info but a very dry delivery.

Concise and engaging

A broad yet relatively short dive into the history of Brooklyn. Worth the time and filled with local knowledge.

This is a Great Course?

Very poor delivery of interesting material. Not anywhere near usual Great Course standard. It was an ordeal to listen to the halting, unskillful narration.

Excellent lecture series

As someone who grew up in Queens during the 50s and 60s, often visited relatives in Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, lived in Crown Heights and Flatbush during the early to mid 70s, I walked away from this lecture series with a deeper and broader understanding of the borough I experienced and thought I knew. I had a front row, participatory seat to busing, a quarter century of white flight to in particular Long Island. Then I watched the next generation, not wanting to spend 3-4 hours/day commuting by car or on the Long Island Rail Road to Manhattan move back to Manhattan and Brooklyn though, into planned gated and segregated communities and schools.

Knowing many of the 60-70-80s notable figures referenced Dr. Purnell gave this story a higher level of integrity. The only negative if you can call it that is you will get much more out of this series if you grew up or spent significant time in the NYC boroughs, if not Brooklyn itself. That said, these lectures demonstrated to me throughout the centuries how people of diverse cultures and ethnicities (particularly working class people) continue to survive uncertainties brought on by rapid change.

It's a must listen to series of history lessons we see increasingly played out throughout American metropolitan areas as they attempt to keep up with the gravitational forces of globalization. Let's all hope the canary continues to live.

Disappointing

As someone who grew up there, my disappointment stems from what was left out. The early history was interesting, but fails to mention Erasmus Hall High School, one of the oldest high schools in the state dating back to the Dutch Reformed times (BTW my alma mater ... so I may be biased)

I grew up there in the 50's and 60's and left Brooklyn permanently in 1971. This time period was not fleshed out. There is no feel for any of the neighborhoods. I grew up in the shadow of Ebbets Field, which gets a cursory mention, but nothing was mention of the surrounding Crown Heights of the time. My block had predominantly Jewish residents. One block down were Irish Catholics, One block over were Puerto Rican residents. That was my Brooklyn of the 1950's

Dr. Pernell mention's Pete Hammil going to Jesuit St Regis in Manhattan but fails to mention Jesuit Brooklyn Prep which was one block from my house, and which I passed daily on the way to P.S. 161 He fails to cover the Downtown entertainment of the Brooklyn Paramount, et.al which feature Chuck Berry among others. The is scant mention of Brooklyn College and Downstate Medical School both of which were of major impact in the Brooklyn of the afore mentioned decades. I could go on.

These are just a few things he left out which resulted in my disappointment.

Bite size gem

Of a great American city.
I really enjoyed to learn the story of Brooklyn bridge designers, the Roeblings, and the fact that Walt Whitman is brooklynite. So it may be a timely primer for me to listen David mccough ‘s Brooklyn bridge.

Dr. Purnell is first class in this project. Thanks

Proud to be 3rd generation Brooklyn born and raised!

Loved hearing about where my grand mother grew up in late 1880’s, and where my mother grew up in 1920-30’s, and the stories of building the neighborhoods in Gravesend where they were. I grew up in Midwood in 60’s and 70’s and remember the stories about all that went on in the borough!

great picture of Brooklyn through the years

each chapter stands by itself and is a clear picture of its subject and time

Enjoyable and Educational

Professor made this learning experience so enjoyable. Time well spent. Great narration filled with interesting facts. Even my teenage grandkids loved it.

Great listen!

Professor Purcell provides a comprehensive look at Brooklyn. Interesting and well performed. Great listen on my commute!