Customer Reviews

Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks

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Although many people think of New York City as a place that never looks back, it has managed to retain a wealth of architectural evidence from the past, even as it has experienced significant losses. In his book Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks (2008), noted preservation advocate and expert Anthony C. Wood describes New York's historic preservation legacy with a fresh point of view, one that goes far beyond the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Penn Central. (Historic preservation aficionados know this case as the first to uphold historic preservation as a valid public policy; most others associate it with the regulatory takings test the Court established there.) Describing an overlooked period in the development of the preservation movement in New York--1913 to 1965--Wood gives insight into the origins of the City's Landmarks Law. This nationally recognized law, Wood demonstrates, didn't spring into being merely because of the destruction of Pennsylvania Station, but also resulted from the culmination of the efforts of forgotten civic leaders on behalf of a wide range of equally important historic properties. Their work lives on in the rich and varied city we appreciate today and in the laws that protect it. Preservation leaders across the country will find lessons to apply in their own communities. In addition, I recommend it as a text to accompany any course in historic preservation.

William J. Cook
Assistant Professor
Charleston School of Law

Anthony C. Wood's Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect A City's Landmarks is an exceptionally well-researched and enlightening resource for historians, preservationists, and NYC history enthusiasts. With solid, objective evidence and facts - and some interesting revelations - it documents the battle over the city's great landmarks and sites, exploring the challenges and victories of the dedicated people involved in this struggle.

For anyone interested in New York City history, this is definitely the book to read. Written in a concise and fluent style, with interesting details and brilliant illustrations, it tells the fascinating tale of the city's preservation history and the efforts of countless individuals to protect the city's great landmarks.

There are plenty of books around covering the island of Manhattan and it's transformation from a Dutch colony to the megatropolis that it is today. There are many angles to this story, but this one comes from the side that says we are too quick to destroy our landmark buildings and New York has become a battle ground for that issue. Some great photos and interesting information. If you like old buildings and the idea of keeping them around, this is a good read.

A thorough and insightful journey through NYC preservation history - this is one of the best books I've read on landmark preservation. I highly recommend it for all history buffs and preservationists, and it's a great find for anyone doing research on New York City and the survival of its landmarks.

Anthony C. Wood, one of New York's most respected preservationists, has written a book that is both thoroughly researched and beautifully written. The only book of its kind, Preserving New York offers an illuminating history of New York City's preservation movement and the farsighted citizens who never gave up. The book's photographs, footnotes, bibliography and index seal Preserving New York as an outstanding chronicle of the (continuing) battle to save the city's past for the benefit of all New Yorkers, current and future.

Comprehensive, detailed, and thorough. Extensive documentation and end-notes. A good read for those interested in New York and/or historic preservation. Goes way beyond the common misconception that the crucial turning point was destruction of Penn Station.