Building New York: The Rise and Rise of the Greatest City on Earth [Hardcover]

Bruce Marshall (Author), Christopher Gray (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2005

The evolution of New York's built environment is chronicled in this breathtaking history organized chronologically by site-from architectural masterpieces to engineering marvels. Witness New York as it was being built in the years following the Civil War. It was during this era when the city spread uptown, landscaped Central Park, engineered the bridges and subways, and scaled ever higher in the form of innovative skyscrapers.The New York story unfolds in these pages with an immediacy only photography can capture. It allows us to relive the moment when the theaters moved uptown followed by the city's "newspaper of record," and muddy, horse-trodden Longacre Square sprouted its iconic neon signs and was reborn as Times Square. Trace the growth by accretion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as it nibbled away at the park or the transformation of Fifth Avenue into "millionaires row." Along the way, the majestic history of the city unfolds along with the story of the visionaries whose stamp it bears today. New York's coming of age coincided with the rise of photography, and this incredible trove of photographs culled from the archives of Time Life and the New-York Historical Society are the very images that created the larger-than-life reputation of New York that continues to dazzle the world today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce Marshall was the founding editor of The Reader's Digest General Books program, whose first book, The Reader's Digest Great World Atlas, sold more than 20 million copies in editions around the world. He later founded Marshall Editions and created a wide range of popular thematic atlases. He is also the author of The Real World.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Universe (October 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789313626
• ISBN-13: 978-0789313621
• Product Dimensions: 13.6 x 8.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dramatic Photographs of How the City Came to Be, December 2, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building New York: The Rise and Rise of the Greatest City on Earth (Hardcover)

Beginning with the 1811 grid plan of 100 foot wide north-south avenues and 155 cross streets set at 200 foot intervals this book shows the story of how Manhattan came to be in a brilliant collection of photographs. Actually the pictures begin with engravings dating from before photographs existed, but the book is mostly photographs from the late 1800's to the drawings of the proposed Fredom Tower at the World Trade Center site.

The photographs cover Manhattan. How central park came to be is discussed as are the bridges and tunnels that provide access to the city. Sailing ships from an 1883 picture are near those of the New York Naval Shipyard (which alone built more ships during World War II than did all of Japan). Air liners from a TWA DC-3 to Pan Am's new Boing 707 at their dramatic terminal at Idlewild is only a page away from a Pan-Am clipper flying boat at La Guardia's Marine Air Terminal.

This is a very dramatic collection of pictures that truly reflects the Rise and Rise of the Greatest City on Earth.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST HAVE FOR LOVERS OF NYC!, February 16, 2010

By 

Annette Schiffer (North Bergen, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Building New York: The Rise and Rise of the Greatest City on Earth (Hardcover)

When I received this book, I was first struck by the cover and the gorgeous picture. I knew immediately I was in for a treat and I was NOT disappointed! This book is so informative and the photos and history of the buildings of New York as they were being built is just incredible. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the Big Apple... It really is an impressive book to have on your coffee table or in your library. You will not be disappointed.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, March 16, 2009

By 

K. Timeus (NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building New York: The Rise and Rise of the Greatest City on Earth (Hardcover)

This book has some amazing photos of New York. It focuses mainly on older buildings and is clearly biased, but overall worth having to browse and read just for fun.