The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History [Paperback]

Edward Robb Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 21, 2004

In swift, witty chapters that flawlessly capture the pace and character of New York City, acclaimed diarist Edward Robb Ellis presents his masterpiece: a thorough, and thoroughly readable, history of America's largest metropolis. Ellis narrates some of the most significant events of the past three hundred years and more—the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr's fatal duel, the formation of the League of Nations, the Great Depression—from the perspective of the city that experienced, and influenced, them all. Throughout, he infuses his account with the strange and delightful anecdotes that a less charming tour guide might omit, from the story of the city's first, block-long subway to that of the blizzard of 1888 that turned Macy's into one big slumber party. Playful yet authoritative, comprehensive yet intimate, The Epic of New York City confirms the words of its own epigraph, spoken by Oswald Spengler: "World history is city history," particularly when that city is the Big Apple.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

LJ's reviewer praised Ellis's 1966 epic for its "easy narrative flow, its comprehensible scope...its impressive bibliography." The text is chock-full of interesting tidbits about New York City from Giovanni da Verrazano's first trip into New York Harbor in 1524 to the mid-1960s. "Highly recommended" (LJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The best one-volume history of the metropolis ever published."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 16 and up
  
• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (December 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786714360
• ISBN-13: 978-0786714360
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #434,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great, June 10, 2002

By 

Jad (TJ) Duwaik - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History (Paperback)

As several other reviewers have noted, this book was published in 1966 and so it doesn't contain any recent history. Nonetheless, it's an excellent introduction to NY from it's founding in the early 1600s to the 1960s.

I disagree with the reviewer who said that there are no colorful characters in this narrative and that the narrative is boring -- I found the book full of interesting characters (politicians like Boss Tweed, reporters such as William Randolph Hearst, and influential people like John Jacob Astor). Moreover, I found the narrative engaging enough to make it difficult to put down at times.

My only complaint is that the editing job is shabby. Not so much with typos or grammatical errors, but the sentence structure and the narrative flow is a bit awkward at times. Every now and again, Ellis will switch gears without any warning or explanation. It gets a bit frustrating.

Also, there are NO maps in this book. I used 4 different contemporary maps -- 2 for Manhattan/Queens, 1 for Brooklyn, 1 US map (for references to Boston, DC, and the south). At a minimum, you'll need a Manhattan street map and a NY state map to accompany your reading.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not contemporary but still informative, February 6, 2000

By 

Nicholas Birns (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History (Paperback)

There are many newer. more contemporary histories of NYC--but, especially if you are interested in the early twentieth century period, this is still the best overview. Especially good for those who are intrigued by NYC but have a scant knowledge of its history.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Give Mr. Ellis a Break, October 20, 2003

By 

Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History (Paperback)

Yes, I agree: Mr. Ellis may have bitten off more than he should've tried to chew in 1966. The book would have been best served if it had ended in 1898, at the time of the consolidation of the five boroughs into New York City. (This was what Burrows and Wallace did when writing GOTHAM, a book of similar length.) I also agree with other reviewers that a few maps and illustrations would've benefitted the work. But give the guy a break.
THE EPIC OF NEW YORK CITY is as good an introduction to the long, complex history of the city as anything else out there. In fact, it's better than most, in spite of its few historical errors. This is an enormous subject that would've daunted most historians. Mr. Ellis' passion and fascination for NYC history is evident on every page.
THE EPIC OF NEW YORK CITY is written in short, digestible chapters that make for sprightful, snappy reading. While uneven in terms of style, many of the segments are memorable. In particular, I enjoyed the sections that centered on Peter Stuyvesant, New York during the American Revolution, and the Blizzard of 1888. Those chapters alone were worth the price.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points Concluded, a Novel