Drawn from a newly discovered cache of 8 x 10-inch glass negatives, these images show the incredible construction techniques and details involved in creating the underground marvel that is today's New York subway. From "cut and cover", sinking under-river tubes and disastrous cave-ins, the photographs are awe-inspiring. The pictures are accompanied by an engaging history of the subway system.
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Vivian Heller received her Ph.D. in literature and modern studies from Yale University. Her short stories have appeared in Confrontation and Bomb. She lives in Staatsburg, New York.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
No Maps!,
By Bob M. "History Buff" (Columbia, Maryland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The City Beneath Us: Building the New York Subway (Hardcover)
The book presents an illustrated history of the NY subway in the first 81 pages with the remainder of the 160+ pages devoted to historic photographs. Since it was published by the NY Transit Museum I had high hopes. After reading the book, I felt that the history narrative was somewhat condensed being that 100 years were covered in 81 pages including photos. I was disappointed that there is not a single map or line drawing of the NYC transit system in the entire book! (I still find this hard to believe.) Having lived in NYC for 25 years I am familiar with the geography and layout of the subway system. But without a map, readers who are unfamiliar with the layout will be totally lost. How is one supposed to know the how the BRT, IRT and IND lines relate to each other geographically without a map? I had hoped that the book would illustrate how the subway expanded over time using maps and diagrams which it did not. I also expected more engineering drawings or diagrams. If you are looking for some great photos of building the subway then this book has hundreds of excellent pictures. If you are looking for a more detailed explanation of the history to include maps of how the subway expanded over the first 40 years then look for another book. I gave this book 4 stars because of the excellent photographs.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Saved by the photos,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The City Beneath Us: Building the New York Subway (Hardcover)
The City Beneath Us is a superb collection of photos weighed down by a less-than-stellar text. The text reads like it was assembled by a committee, with each committee member writing a chapter. A more thorough editing could have smoothed the transitions and given the book a more unified feel. Though, the contributing writers are unified in one thing -- they are sure of who the New York subway's enemies were throughout the years. This strident finger-pointing also detracts. But then there are the pictures. Nearly all is forgiven in the face of these wonderful images. If you get geeked by trains or things underground, this is a great, if flawed, book.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not as impressed as I thought I'd be,
By Bibliomaniac (Northern NJ) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The City Beneath Us: Building the New York Subway (Hardcover)
I had high hopes for this book, after several delays and all the hype. But I was somewhat disappointed by the very poor quality of materials (especially the dustjacket), despite it being printed in Italy. The photos are worth 5 stars, but I expected more of them and a more coherent presentation. There are plenty of good histories of the NYC Subway--this book was supposed to be a treasure trove of photos.
I also think this book would have been more impressive if it were a larger format.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
In a film comedy by Thomas Edison, a man carrying a lunch pail hurries up to a subway kiosk, shakes the hand of a subway official seated just inside the entry, rushes down the steps, leaps down onto the track, lights a stick of dynamite-and is then seen shooting through the subway tunnel, arms outstretched, ribbons of cloth fluttering at his sides. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nickel fare, transit workers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Lexington Avenue, City Hall, Fourth Avenue, Eighth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Coney Island, Robert Moses, Malbone Street, East River, Brooklyn Bridge, Centre Street, Dual System, Long Island, Michael Quill, Triborough Plan, United States, Central Park, Fulton Street, Ground Zero, Harlem River, Street Canarsie, Times Square, World's Fair, August Belmont New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In a film comedy by Thomas Edison, a man carrying a lunch pail hurries up to a subway kiosk, shakes the hand of a subway official seated just inside the entry, rushes down the steps, leaps down onto the track, lights a stick of dynamite-and is then seen shooting through the subway tunnel, arms outstretched, ribbons of cloth fluttering at his sides. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nickel fare, transit workers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Lexington Avenue, City Hall, Fourth Avenue, Eighth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Coney Island, Robert Moses, Malbone Street, East River, Brooklyn Bridge, Centre Street, Dual System, Long Island, Michael Quill, Triborough Plan, United States, Central Park, Fulton Street, Ground Zero, Harlem River, Street Canarsie, Times Square, World's Fair, August Belmont New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 2
books:
- Coney Island by Harvey Stein on page 65
- The Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald on page 40
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
