Introduction : situating recurrent mass violenceContested origins -- Maubara and the Dutch East India Company -- Vassalage and violence, 1861-1887 -- The uprising and devastation of 1893 -- High colonialism and new forms of oppression, 1894-1974 -- The end of empire and the Indonesian occupation, 1974-1998 -- Serious crimes and the politics of the past, 1999-2012.

Governors Island is a 172-acre park just 800 yards from Manhattan. It was a military base for 200 years and only opened to the public in 2004. Today it draws 500,000 visitors a season. This insightful guidebook is for any visitor to the island: a bicyclist who just wants to enjoy five miles of car-free biking, the Civil War enthusiast that wants to visit Castle Williams and see where 1,000 Confederate soldiers were imprisoned, or families on a picnic. The author explores the history of the island, its place in New York and American government, and its long and distinguished military past. More than 80 locations are featured that visitors can explore—from forts to officers housing and much more.