A building that is a movie star unto itself deserves a writer of such contagious enthusiasm as Tauranac. Upon finishing his bio-(or constructo-) graphy, one feels pulled again to gaze at the solitary tower and see behind its limestone facade the architects and contractors who built it in 18 short months, and in the teeth of the Depression. As much a statement of capitalist tenacity as rentable office space, the building's iconic status was immediate, and not only for being "the world's tallest." Its modern, art deco-y appearance was unique, its technology was the acme of the skyscraper age, and its splendid isolation in the middle of Manhattan riveted attention. How it became sited at the corner of 34th Street and 5th Avenue forms one of Tauranac's fascinating stories, to which he adds vignettes about the personalities of financiers and their promoter in chief, former governor and presidential also-ran Al Smith, followed by notable events, such as the amusingly futile attempts to dock dirigibles at the top or the tragic airplane collision with the 79th floor in 1945. A fascinating, self-propelling, and definitive history of the building. Gilbert Taylor
Review
The Empire State Building is a methodically researched, richly informative account of the raising of the world's most famous skyscraper.
― Chicago Tribune
Although the Empire State Building is no longer the tallest building in the world (or even in New York City), it remains mythical, iconic. This entrancing book is at once an appreciation of the structure as a practical work of art and an exploration of the building's role in the city and the world.
― New Yorker
A building that is a movie star unto itself deserves a writer of such contagious enthusiasm as Tauranac. This book is a fascinating, self-propelling, and definitive history of the building.
― Booklist
Tauranac knows the architecture and buildings of New York as few do. He takes us through the story of the skyscraper as a form, the zoning that emerged to control the tall buildings, the real-estate boom of the twenties, the history of the site, the careers of John J. Raskob and Al Smith and the architects and builders who designed and erected the building, and the building's subsequent career.
― New York Times Book Review
Tauranac combines fine scholarship with a storyteller's gift for entertainment. The Empire State Building is a basic reference on twentieth-century architecture and urban development.
― Journal of American History
When the 1250-foot Empire State Building opened in the Depression year of 1931, it was the world's tallest building. Today, it retains a special place in the heart of New Yorkers. Tauranac has written an informative and exciting biography of Manhattan’s most famous building.
― Publishers Weekly
Tauranac's book is a vivid characterization of the skyscraper as romantic phenomenon. As such it demonstrates unfailingly why the Empire State Building has yet to relinquish its grip on the imagination.
― Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians About the Author
John Tauranac writes on New York’s architectural history, teaches and lectures on the subject, gives tours of the city, and is a mapmaker. In 1997, he was the guest curator of A Dream Well Planned: The Empire State Building at the Museum of the City of New York. His books include New York from the Air, Elegant New York, Essential New York, and Seeing New York. He has contributed to the New York Times, the New York Observer, New York Newsday, New York Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Seaport, Avenue Magazine, and other publications. Tauranac is an adjunct associate professor at NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
