I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love New York City. I am thoroughly obsessed. I have yet to visit myself, and have been waiting until my daughter is a little bit older, so she will be able to appreciate it as much as I do. As a result of my love for this city I have never been to, any book relating to the history of NYC especially and people/places/events in general, gets my attention immediately.
This would make for a great guide book, if you are interested in the magical side of the City That Never Sleeps. The author takes readers on a ride starting at the Battery and weaving up Broadway, making various pitstops at locations along the way to introduce a whole cast of characters that even many New Yorkers might not know once strolled the sidewalks of the most famous street in the world. We meet magicians, Freemasons, alchemists, seers, spiritualists, occultists, mediums, wizards, and fortune tellers, among many others.
As you can imagine, this is not your average history book. The author begins in 1789, the year George Washington was inaugurated as our first president. From there, the book is split into seven distinct chapters and stays on a roughly chronological course right up to the present day. Within each chapter, the author further breaks down the history by location. There are tons of stories and anecdotes, all related to that wider theme or topic of the chapter.
Personally I found some of the stories more interesting than others, only based on my preference - for example, I am not terribly interested in alchemy. Even so, those stories did not distract from those topics I was interested in.
I do have to say that this did take me longer than usual to get through, but I think that is more due to the nature of the book itself, almost as an encyclopedia of information. Some might be able to read this straight through cover to cover. Others might enjoy it more as one they skip around in, from one entry to another in a different chapter perhaps. I do think the book can be enjoyed either way.
Highly recommended, especially to those who love any and all history of NYC.
i passed thru NY on the way to Philly once; not enough time to see anything, tho... what i know i learned from Ellery Queen, Van Dine,Stout, et al. interesting place...
ReplyDeleteThe closest I have come to NYC is Newark. In 2010 my mom and I were stranded in Amsterdam for a week and could not get a flight back home on Delta (we'd flown on Buddy Passes). My grandpa saved the day and bought us ticket on a different airline and our layover was in Newark for like, an hour. I can not tell you how gut-wrenchingly horrible it was to look across the Hudson and see the city I love so much already, and not be able to go.
DeleteOoooh! This book sounds good, though it isn't my normal cup of tea. I mostly read fiction and if I have to read non-fiction I mostly read biographies (women, royales and historic) and war. I might read this if I can find it...
ReplyDeleteI love city biographies, especially when they add something special about that history. This is definitely a good one if you are interested. I am not sure if it is published yet, but it is worth finding out.
DeleteSince I grew up in Princeton, NJ and my dad worked in NYC, I have been there many times. I am not a big fan of large cities but I do like reading about them. This would be the type of book I would read a chapter a day until I was done.
ReplyDelete*sigh* I am so jealous. I think I have been obsessed with NYC since I was a kid. It didn't help that I also watched Friends from the first season, when I was 11, and I had this kind of rose-colored view of living in the city. Even as I grew up and learned more about it, that love never went away but I am definitely more realistic now! The chapter-a-day would be a good route to go because it really does have so many cool anecdotes.
DeleteI love New York too this is why I think I'd love this book. I understand it was heavy for you to read. I'd keep this book just for consulting when I'd be feeling curious about NYC
ReplyDeleteThat would definitely be a good plan. Or Judy up there ^ even suggested a chapter a day, and not necessarily something you would try to plow through in one sitting. Unless, of course all the topics were high priorities for you. It's a neat book, I hope many others find it and enoy it also.
DeleteI have a friend who LOVES New York City. This would be a perfect Christmas gift for them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome!! I love city biographies and histories in general, and when they have a niche or something extra like this, they are even better. I hope they love it!!
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