Customer Reviews

The Restless City: A Short History of New York from Colonial Times to the Present

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This is one of the most delightful books I have ever read about New York's history. Reitano has an easy and interesting style that captivated me from page one. I enjoyed the stories she told and at the same time the interesting thesis about our restless city. I assigned it as part of my History of New York City class and the students told me it was their favorite book in the course. A perfect selection for a book club and to take on vacation.

This is a book everyone with an interest in New York City history should read. Written in graceful, engaging prose, in a brief 224 pages, Reitano presents a kaleidoscope of significant events, conflicts and turmoil which produced America's greatest city. Contrary to other approaches to the subject, Reitano depicts the city from the 17th century to the present as never static, but as a cauldron of struggle between contending groups out of which a constructive evolution developed. Interwoven throughout are compelling biographies of exceptional individuals who are often overlooked, such as Fanny Wright, Langston Hughes, Emma Goldman, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois and Vito Marcantonio. As an accessible, enlightening treatise on both New York City and American history, The Restless City is a remarkable achievement.
Lawrence Rushing, New York City

The Restless City is an intimate portrait of New York's tumultuous past and present, giving the reader a front row seat for some of Gotham's most trying times, bringing to life the human emotion and drama while always placing it in the context of the City's current climate, helping us to understand the unique way the City grows through change and conflict in its quest for perpetual redefinition. Full of interesting facts and enlightening quotations, it's a must read for any serious historian of the urban landscape, a great companion to the PBS documentary series about New York, and an enjoyable journey for the casual student of New York history.