New York Intellect: A History of Intellectual Life in New York City from 1750 to the Beginnings of Our Own Time [Paperback]

Thomas Bender (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1988

"Remarkable history -- superb in research, insight, and interpretation... The book is full of fascinations." -- New Yorker

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"There is nothing new in New York: everybody is driving after money as usual," wrote Samuel F.B. Morse to James Fenimore Cooper. Yet Morseinventor, painter and arts organizerexemplified what Bender calls the city's "literary culture," which democratically modeled itself on Paris. The author, a New York University professor, identifies two other distinct subcultures in the pageant of the city's intellectual history. The earliest, which harked back to Edinburgh, brought together men of letters, businessmen and professionals in organizations like the Friendly Club. After the Civil War, an "academic culture" modeled itself on the German research university. Bender's theme is the role of intellect in shaping a pluralistic society, and he carries his story through the postwar era when New York City, as an international capital of culture, went from being a mere importer of modernism to a crucible of change.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

This ambitious undertaking attempts to chart the intellectual development of New York City from its modest colonial origins to its 20th-century flowering as a unique world center for arts, ideas, culture, and creativity. Though numerous bits and pieces of New York's journey towards intellectual ascendancy are commonly known, Bender (History, NYU) does far more than merely list and describe the thousands of institutions and individuals involved in that journey. He skillfully analyzes the intersection of social, political, and economic factors as they shaped the intellectual life of the city over time. All except the tiniest public and academic libraries will wish to acquire this important title. Mark R. Yerburgh, Trinity Coll. Lib., Burlington, Vt.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801836395
• ISBN-13: 978-0801836398
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #630,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the intellectual style of a city, March 30, 2000

By 

David Parker (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New York Intellect: A History of Intellectual Life in New York City from 1750 to the Beginnings of Our Own Time (Paperback)

In New York Intellect, Thomas Bender provides a guide to the history of intellectual life in America's cultural capital. He takes it through three phases which are based on the preoccupations of the city's intelligentsia during different periods: first, a city in which cultural institutions brought together an intellectual elite, next, a city with an explicitly literary orientation, and finally, the international capital of culture with an academic orientation. For students of cultural, intellectual, and/or urban history (which I am) this is essential reading. It's a good read for anyone interested in the history of New York City or the intellectual life of a city in general.