Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (The History of New York City) Reviews
Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (The History of New York City)
To European explorers, it was Eden, a paradise of waist-high grasses, towering stands of walnut, maple, chestnut, and oak, and forests that teemed with bears, wolves, raccoons, beavers, otters, and foxes. Today, it is the site of Broadway and Wall Street, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, and the home of millions of people, who have come from every corner of the nation and the globe.
In Gotham, Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace have produced a monumental work of history, one that ranges from the Indian tribes that settled in and around the island of Manna-hata, to the consolidation of the five boroughs into Greater New York in 1898. It is an epic narrative, a story as vast and as varied as the c
List Price: $ 34.95
Price: $ 20.82
Endlessly fascinating story of an endlessly fascinating city,
I have only read about a tenth of this mammoth work so far and I have found it to be one of the best written and most interesting books I’ve ever come across. As an Australian, I’ve always had a great fascination with New York (I’ve been there twice) – it’s history, it’s beautiful skyline and it’s great contribution in so many areas like the arts & architecture (the Chrysler Building is one of the most gorgeous pieces of modern design in the world, in my opinion). So, to read such a marvellously written work on the city itself was a book I couldn’t resist. Despite it’s weight (it’s quite a load to carry to work every day on the train) I LITERALLY can’t put it down. Well done, Professors Burrows & Wallace – I can’t wait for the next volume from 1898 onwards!
Was this review helpful to you?
|I’d read a thousand more pages,
When I see a 1,000+ page book on any subject, I really have to wonder if it will be worth the time I’d have to invest reading it. I am happy to say that Burrows and Wallace’s GOTHAM was worth every second I spent poring through its pages. BOTH TIMES! GOTHAM is very compelling and very witty, and, at the same time, terrifying and troubling when you read about some of the atrocities committed on this tiny island. The treasure-trove of illustrations along the way only add to the enjoyment of the narrative. I can’t recommend it highly enough. To me, however, the book is an important reminder that the history of New York City is richer, older, and more complex than the other US cities we tend to think of as historic, like Boston, Philadelphia, or DC. The history of New York City, laden with hope and tragedy, friction and cooperation, tolerance and intolerance, greed and charity, has never been given the majestic yet human voice it deserves, until now. GOTHAM lets you celebrate the history of New York as you learn about it. To me, that’s worth every second of reading.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Unbelievable, Remarkable, fascinating,
This is the definitive book on New York City history and is a remarkable accomplishment for it’s authors. You’ll find in Gotham not only a history of New York City (and an exhaustive one at that) but by default, a companion to the study of the foundations of this nation. Gotham is remarkably colorful in it’s portrayal of the many characters that make up the history of this great city but doesn’t skimp on poignant, and sometimes sobering, detail. An ambitious read, but worth every word. This is the kind of book that spawns the reading of ten more!
A sure cure for the unfortunate predisposition of the popular media to portray the history of New York as beginning with the first immigrant who set foot on Ellis Island (the book terminates prior to 1900). Read Gotham and become immersed in the richness of the mostly untold New York story.
Was this review helpful to you?
|