Customer Reviews

Incredible New York: High Life and Low Life from 1850 to 1950

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Ignore the weak title; this is no I LOVE NEW YORK booster club travel guide. Written nearly half a century ago, this chronicle of the city's gutter life and gilded society will offer any new (or not so new) student to Gotham's history an informative and entertaining look back at what is arguably the most explosive 100 years in New York's history. This book deflates the charming gaslight and horse-and-buggy nostalgia that we associate with old New York but doesn't just dwell on the Plug-Ugliness of the slums either. What it does is give New York the contradictory and human voice the city's history deserves, and few books have done that since.

A book for anyone who has lived in, thought about or heard of New York. Wonderful details combine with solid prose to give the reader a real feel for New York as it grew up. Lots of pictures, too. I'll always think of Broadway and 14th Street as "Dead Man's Curve" now...

Ignore the weak title; this is no I LOVE NEW YORK booster club travel guide. Written nearly half a century ago, this chronicle of the city's gutter life and gilded society will offer any new (or not so new) student to Gotham's history an informative and entertaining look back at what is arguably the most explosive 100 years in New York's history. This book deflates the charming gaslight and horse-and-buggy nostalgia that we associate with old New York but doesn't just dwell on the Plug-Ugliness of the slums either. What it does is give New York the contradictory and human voice the city's history deserves, and few books have done that since.

I've read so many new york books and this is my favorite. Can't use most of it on the tours but jaw dropping stuff that makes you realize, times change, people don't. Just because they were better dressed, doesn't mean they were better behaved. For example the old top preacher who had affairs. So much more hilarious and serious at turns.