The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History [Paperback]

Eric Homberger (Author), Alice Hudson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2005

A New York Public Library Outstanding Reference Book

The rich and eminently browsable visual guide to the history of New York, in an all-new
second edition

The Historical Atlas of New York City, second edition, takes us, neighborhood by neighborhood, through four hundred years of Gotham's rich past, describing such crucial events as the city's initial settlement of 270 people in thirty log houses; John Jacob Astor's meteoric rise from humble fur trader to the richest, most powerful man in the city; and the fascinating ethnic mixture that is modern Queens. The full-color maps, charts, photographs, drawings, and mini-essays of this encyclopedic volume also trace the historical development and cultural relevance of such iconic New York thoroughfares as Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, Park Avenue, and Broadway. This thoroughly updated edition brings the Atlas up to the present, including three all-new two-page spreads on Rudolph Giuliani's New York, the revival of Forty-second Street, and the rebuilding of Ground Zero.

A fascinating chronicle of the life of a metropolis, the handsome second edition of The Historical Atlas of New York City provides a vivid and unique perspective on the nation's cultural capital.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A beautifully produced reference work . . . here, in maps, drawings, photographs, and illuminating text, are the five little boroughs and how they grew."-E. L. Doctorow

"A treasure of a book. The historical notes are sharp, full, and often surprising. The graphics are fresh, colorful, and give one a new sense of New York, the world city in its everlasting drama." -Alfred Kazin

About the Author

Eric Homberger is the author of Mrs. Astor's New York and Scenes from the Life of a City. An American by birth, he is a professor of American studies at the University of East Anglia.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; 2nd edition (June 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805078428
• ISBN-13: 978-0805078428
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Education & Reference > Atlases & Maps > Atlases
  • #16 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geography
  • #71 in Books > History > Americas > United States > State & Local

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost Great, January 15, 2006

By 

Zuggzugg (Cohoes, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History (Paperback)

This book includes many really nice maps of early New York. Much of the historical information included in the maps is uniquely presented here and lacking in many other publications. However, there are many editorial mistakes and misspellings that I have observed, which makes me wonder about the accuracy of the rest of the information. Additionally, the narrative text is simple, limited and sometimes disjointed and difficult to follow. Buy this book simply for its beautiful graphics and depictions of the city as it used to be. Some periods of the city's history could be greatly expanded, especially the city's role in the revolution and the siege of Fort Washington. Anyone with knowledge of the city will find it of limited value beyond the maps and illustrations. A little polishing of this book and some additional material for some historical periods in a future edition would make this book an outstanding work. For now, I would call it good but lacking in important areas.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, July 4, 2006

By 

E. Szabo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History (Paperback)

This is simply one of the best NYC historical reference work available. The book is divided into periods and will display numerous maps , photos and drawings of the buildings and landscape of the city at that time in history. Plenty of history is included to make certain you are keyed in to the era, and how the buildings fit in. Just a beautiful book. Great binding and very sturdy.
Strong buy

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A researcher's short cut, January 7, 2008

By 

Carol A. Buchanan (Montana, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History (Paperback)

The Historical Atlas of New York City solved a huge problem for me. I'm writing a novel set partly in New York in 1864, and while I lived in the City in 1964, that's a hundred years too late for this novel! I live now where research facilities are slim, and I needed something to show me where people lived, shopped, worked, entertained themselves.

This book answered my questions. It showed me which landmark buildings were on which streets then and gave me the background for the characters who inhabit my novel and the City. It has prevented me from having a character walk past the Flatiron building, or attend a ball at the Waldorf-Astoria.

It also confirmed that elderly gentlemen probably played chess in Tompkins Square Park just as they did a hundred years later, and that the brownstones around Washington Square were inhabited by wealthy families.

It has enabled me to put some of my own reminiscences (faithfully recorded in my journals of the time) into the book while avoiding some anomalies.

Not all my questions were resolved in this book, but studying the maps gave me enough information about the trains in New York to avoid some errors, like describing Grand Central Station, because it gives the date that amazing edifice was built.

A valuable addition to my own research library!