- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (Nov 22 1994)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0805026495
- ISBN-13: 978-0805026498
- Product Dimensions: 27.9 x 22.1 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 953 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Eric Homberger's The Historical Atlas of New York City shows what can be achieved within a very narrow frame of discussion. With just one city to depict, Homberger explores the rich variety of details in the city's 400-year history with vivid drawings and illustrations as well as beautifully rendered maps. The atlas takes on the geologic history of New York, major eras (Indian, Dutch, and British), and the formative 19th century, as well as the consolidation of Greater New York, neighborhood histories of Coney Island and Greenwich Village, and the Big Apple exploits of 1945 through 1996. But there's room for the small stuff, too, such as the political and cultural role of New York's taverns in the late 1700s. --Stephanie Gold
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
From Library Journal
"Atlas" is almost a misnomer for this encyclopedic overview of the history of New York City. Homberger (American studies, Univ. of East Anglia; Scenes from the Life of a City: Corruption and Conscience in Old New York, LJ 9/1/94) details the growth and development of the Big Apple from earliest times, with attention to geological formation, pre-Colonial settlement, and transformation to first city of the young republic. Detailed color maps abound, accompanied by a running commentary of major historical and cultural eras. Many of the most detailed maps are rendered schematically for easier reading. Each period treated features historical photos and illustrations along with accompanying map(s). Some of the best-known aspects of the city, e.g., the UN, Rockefeller Center, receive individual treatment, as do neighborhoods such as Harlem, Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, and Chinatown. Two fascinating illustrations are stylized diagrams of Broadway, the longest street in the city, and Fifth Avenue, arguably the city's main street. A detailed, illustrated chronology of important events in the city's history concludes the volume. A visual delight; highly recommended for all libraries.
Edward B. Cone, New York City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Edward B. Cone, New York City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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First Sentence
The geography of New York City was the city's supreme advantage. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The geography of New York City was the city's supreme advantage. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
I agree,
By
This review is from: The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of Nearly 400 Years of New York City's History (Paperback)
I agree with Timothy Durkin's December 1999 customer review that this book contains a number of errors and inconsistencies, but my judgment is not as harsh. I also believe a great deal of information that should appear in a historical atlas about the city is inexcusably omitted. However, this is an appealling, informative book and makes for enjoyable reading and reference. Insofar as positive attributes, the book contains wonderful graphics and color reproductions; is printed on good quality, non-glare paper; and, for a paperback, is well bound. Insofar as flaws, they are both minor and major. Minor flaws consist of editorial oversights such as the misstatement on page 176 that the Broadway musical OKLAHOMA! was written by Rodgers & Hart when it was written by Rodgers & Hammerstein, and the photograph on page 146 reproduced in reverse. (Looking south toward the Flatiron Building, Madison Square Park should be on the left and the World Trade Center Towers should be on the right). Major flaws consist of omission of maps or other graphics pertaining to vanished landmarks such as Jones Wood, an open space on the upper East side once considered as the site for Central Park; Chelsea when it was a country estate; and the Five Points. I had hoped to see maps of large 18th and 19th century upper Manhattan tract holdings; of the boundaries of the Battery before and after Castle Clinton went from island fortification to part of the mainland; of the gradual expansion by landfill of the Manhattan shoreline; and of unique streets and alleys, long vacated. Those, too, are absent. A conflict is presented by the maps of the DeLancey farms on pages 60-61. On page 60, Division St. is shown to traverse the property, but on page 61 it is absent. According to Burrows & Wallace's GOTHAM, Division St. was the boundary separating the DeLancey and Rutgers estates, hence the derivation of the name [see GOTHAM page 178]. If Burrows & Wallace are correct, the presence of Division St. on page 60 is error. Finally, although not mentioned by the author, the Dutch house appearing on page 30 reappears in subsequent renditions on pages 56 and 62. The house is readily identifiable by its facade numbering scheme. This may be a minor point, but one, I would have thought, worthy of note.
4.0 out of 5 stars
So interesting...,
By
This review is from: The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of Nearly 400 Years of New York City's History (Paperback)
Ever wonder why downtown NYC is a labrynthine maze which makes no sense? Blame it on the early settlers. Read tons of more interesting facts about our marvelous city.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but not complete,
By "lmiller1023" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of Nearly 400 Years of New York City's History (Paperback)
I just finished the Historical Atlas and while the book does a great job of touching on so many subjects in such a small space, it leaves a little to be desired because it does not focus on any one point in the city's development enough. I would have enjoyed the book more if it had a little more detail on how landmarks came to be where they are, and what the political an social culture of the city was at different time points that influenced the way the city developed. I suppose that wasn't the book's intent, though. Also, it would be nice to get a follow up chapter on the city's continued development since 1994. Overall, I thought the book was a good intro to NYC history, but I think I'm going to try a more in-depth history to fill in some gaps.
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