Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Mike Wallace (Author) "O this is Eden!" exulted the Dutch poet Jacob Steendam..." (more)
Key Phrases: corporate command post, New York, United States, New Amsterdam (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Like the city it celebrates, Gotham is massive and endlessly fascinating. This narrative of well over 1,000 pages, written after more than two decades of collaborative research by history professors Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace, copiously chronicles New York City from the primeval days of the Lenape Indians to the era when, with Teddy Roosevelt as police commissioner, the great American city became regarded as "Capital of the World." The sheer bulk of the book may be off- putting, but the reader can use a typically New York approach: Those who don't settle in for the entire history can easily "commute" in and out to read individual chapters, which stand alone nicely and cover the major themes of particular eras very well.

While Gotham is fact-laden (with a critical apparatus that includes a bibliography and two indices--one for names, another for subjects), the prose admirably achieves both clarity and style. "What is our take, our angle, our schtick?" ask the authors, setting a distinctly New York tone in their introduction. No matter what it's called, their method of weaving together countless stories works wonderfully. The startlingly detailed research and lively writing bring innumerable characters (from Peter Minuit to Boss Tweed) to life, and even those who think they know the history of New York City will no doubt find surprises on nearly every page. Gotham is a rarity, reigning as both authoritative history and page-turning story. --Robert McNamara

From Publishers Weekly

A tome matching the size of its subject, this doorstopper (the first of a two-volume history) more than justifies the 20 years Burrows and Wallace spent on itAnot to mention the space it will take on the nightstands of New Yorkers actual, former, future and presumptive. Its massive size permits the inclusion of details, minor characters and anecdotes of everyday life that vibrantly communicate the city's genesis and evolution. The authors have synthesized histories from various perspectivesAcultural, economic, political, etc.Ainto a novelistic narrative, providing the context for stories of the diverse denizens who shaped the city. Both New York academics (Brooklyn College and CUNY, respectively), Burrows and Wallace have produced a historical work that merits the term "definitive" yet still manages to entertain. Underneath reasoned academic prose lies a populist bent, unflinching in relating ugly events and describing the unsavory behavior of prominent figures; in its original sense, "Gotham" denotes a town of tricksters and fools, and this book is full of both. Vague documentation may, on occasion, frustrate the academic reader, but such quibbles should be left to professional historians. The rest will read with pleasure and await the companion volume's promised appearance in the year 2000. 160 photos and linecuts and 15 maps not seen by PW. 40,000 copy first printing.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1416 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; First edition edition (November 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195116348
• ISBN-13: 978-0195116342
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,722 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Endlessly fascinating story of an endlessly fascinating city, November 7, 1999

By	Elizabeth O'Brien (Ipswich, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'd read a thousand more pages, January 29, 2003

By	Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable, Remarkable, fascinating, May 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (The History of New York City) (Paperback)

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.