Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (The History of NYC Series)

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If I'm in a rush to get to work, I would descend even further underground for the 7 train transfer so as to emerge closer to the office. Perhaps this is because Burrows and Wallace edited and rewrote each other’s chapters, creating a kind of anonymous hybrid author. Though not exactly fair, I cannot help comparing Gotham unfavorably with another massive book about the history of the city, The Power Broker, which forever changed how I look at the city and, indeed, at the nature of power itself. For many, New York means breakneck pace, shoebox apartments, and urban loneliness in the thickets of the concrete jungle. I am proud of my association with this Pulitzer Prize winning historian, and I am proud to have read the length of this book, a panoramic overview of the history of New York City from its earliest times up until the 20th century, and the creation of the metropolis out of what were formerly independent communities.

I began reading this book several years ago, put it down for a while, and picked it up again a few months ago. There is a lot about old, old New York and some of its fascinating characters and leaders, such as Dutch populist Jacob Leisler, someone who deserves to be better remembered. Such a comprehensive review inevitably leads to a feeling that some communities--African-Americans, immigrants, the vanished Lenape--are underrepresented.

First appearing in the pages of GQ magazine in 2001, Gotham gained international attention in 2007 when it was adopted by the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. I have been wrestling in my mind between whether giving this book 4 stars or 5 stars when I neared the end of this book (when I was around page 500 or so, I picked up steam in completing it during the last few days).

Independent New York’s history is one of colonizing first itself (as Manhattan was built up from Wall Street up), then its surroundings (Brooklyn starting from the heights, Queens, New Jersey) and then finally swallowing up the other boroughs to make up a greater version of itself. New York swallowed and spit out Herman Melville and Edgar Allan Poe, whereas Walt Whitman, who was from Brooklyn did quite well for himself there. One can now understand why aliens always land in New York rather than Muncie, Indiana or Abilene, Texas.Archival collections relating to the Gotham Book Mart held by other institutions are also linked below. This production is not sponsored, endorsed by or affiliated with DC Comics or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies and/or third party licensors. We are here to come up with masterpieces that are created by both beginners and known authors aiming to release their books into greater heights. That's appropriate for a book that wants to center morally on the value of everyday life and everyday people.

The diversity and ever-evolving nature of the place, as well as its sometime brutality, are displayed well. Unfortunately, even the most masterly prose is dead on the page if there is no discernable person behind it. Gotham is pretty well illustrated too, with numerous drawings and (mostly from the New York Historical Society) that add a great deal to the overall effect. busted Williamsburg sidewalks where Francie Nolan came of age, Katz's Deli in Soho where Meg Ryan had a climactic pastrami, and the Queensboro bridge, where Fitzgerald claims one can see New York for the first time again and again.And despite all my complaints and headaches, I liked it enough so that I will, someday, drag myself through its sequel. Non-Commercial( 931646) Free( 72261) Free for MacOS Use( 1191) Free for Alibaba Use( 31) Free for JD. It may seem to cover a limited topic, New York City to 1898, but the authors cover a lot of topics in great depth and there are connections to broader trends in the US and the world.

I learned that when I moved to a soulless glass and steel Williamsburg apartment (the ones that were popping up like mushrooms in the 2010's), a century ago the neighborhood refined the lion's share of sugar and oil for the country. The Harry Ransom Center (University of Texas, Austin) holds records related to the Gotham Book Mart; Skidmore College holds additional materials related to Frances Steloff; New York Public Library holds additional materials related to Gotham Book Mart, Frances Steloff, and the James Joyce Society; San Diego State University holds additional material related to Andreas Brown. The finalists’ books range from a debut novel set in 1990s Harlem to a love story in post-WWII New York to a noir mystery in mid-2000s Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Bridge being opened by PT Barnum, who marches a parade of 21 elephants across its expanse.Speaking of which, “Gotham” is Anglo-Saxon for “Goats’ Town,” first coined by Washington Irving to describe New York’s population of “silly,” “self-important,” “foolish” and therefore goat-like people. Here too is a cast of thousands--the rebel Jacob Leisler and the reformer Joanna Bethune; Clement Moore, who saved Greenwich Village from the city's street-grid plan; Herman Melville, who painted disillusioned portraits of city life; and Walt Whitman, who happily celebrated that same life. This book offered me a complete view of "Gotham" from its genesis to creation of the metropolitan colossus encompassing all the boroughs that is known the world round today. The Gotham Book Prize is once again going to honor an author who has captured the remarkable character of our city.