book data
135 ratings, 3.73 average rating, 22 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
November 8th 2005
(first published 2004)
by Back Bay Books
binding
Paperback, 320 pages
isbn
0316010685
(isbn13: 9780316010689)
description
In this widely praised book, Pete Hamill leads us on an unforgettable journey through the city he loves, from the islands southern tip to Times Square...more
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 195)
Read in October, 2005
Lets just say that this book may have been single-handedly responsible with my fascination with the city of NY and at least partially, if not altogether, responsible for my moving here. I believe this memoir was written after Hamill got 'on the wagon'. I mention this because a lot of critics seem to believe his, and many other writers' best works, come during their hard-drinking days when all they seemed to have where a bottle and a notebook and pen in some dingy, dimly lit room in which to sp...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Pete Hamill is a newspaperman, and it seems to me that this book is a bit shallow as a result. He's very readable, but just a little superficial for my taste. Of course he admits right away, even in the title, that this will be just one person's take on the city, and in fact his knowledge of downtown people and places is fantastic. He gets into a little history, both of his own family and the general population that settled the area, from the original Dutch on down to the present. Also gets into...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
This was great as audio, and now I'm looking forward to reading it in paper version for the first time.
I love New York, and reading this book makes me look at the city a little differently.
I love New York, and reading this book makes me look at the city a little differently.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2007
Pete Hamill is one of my favorite writers because whether he's writing fiction or nonfiction, everything he writes is so richly textured with details, you feel as if you were there with him or his characters. His love for New York City is palpable in this book, something that has defined him as much as his work on newspapers or his Irish heritage (both of which he discusses in this work).
I found his discussion of Union Square in the aftermath of 9/11 particularly poignant and his accounts o...more
I found his discussion of Union Square in the aftermath of 9/11 particularly poignant and his accounts o...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in June, 2008
I can't get enough of this book. It makes me want to walk around New York and actually look up, down and all around -- just like a tourist, but one loaded with the historical New York of tap, the farmlands that became the grid of New York, publishers' row, the el, Bowery, Broadway, Stanford White, Times Square, and how the word "hooker" came to me. What this book does is not only give a depth and back story of New York but endear the reader to appreciate history in general. It makes me...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
New York folk or people who love history
I LOVE this book. Have yet to buy it, but oh yes, I WILL buy it. The historical facts mixed with the author's anecdotes really make everything come to life. It's interesting to know where some of the places referenced in the book are located and to learn so much about these places that you never knew. Having some knowledge of the layout of New York is helpful. I would recommend this book, especially for those wanting to explore the city. It's a great little non-touristy tourist book, if you choo...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in November, 2008
recommends it for:
Those who love New York City
I loved this book. So much interesting information mixed in with personal experiences and thoughts. I can't wait to bring it on my next trip to New York and see some of the amazing things he describes. I am now very interested in the people who were so integral to the creation of New York. All of the immigrants, architects, newspaper people, etc. Fascinating read. Hamill is a great writer.
I read most of it on the trains in New York. That was a fun experience.
I read most of it on the trains in New York. That was a fun experience.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
lovers of new york, admirers of the craft of writing
Absolutely fantastic. Equal parts travel guide, history book, and memoir. Hamill takes his readers along on a walk uptown from the battery to Times Square, recounting historical notes on places he passes and sharing personal attachments to each place, spinning off into memories of a writer's life in New York. A New Yorker to the bone, Hamill never loses his sense of wonder at the beat and pulse of the city.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in August, 2007
I listened to this book on CD's from the library. The author wrote a fiction book about New York, called Forever that I read a few years ago. This one is his memories of growing up in New York and Brooklyn and living in the Village interspersed with interesting historical facts about the city and its culture. I enjoyed it.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2007
This is an unremarkable read full of cliches about the city and its indominatable immigrant spirit. We need more facts and less Fodor's "character of a place" essay. The best part is when he quotes the first couple of paragraphs of MOBY DICK.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
For New York history buffs: Pete Hamill's look at various New York neighborhoods and landmarks, with a good deal of his personal history thrown in with observations on the history of particular historical figures, architects, etc.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
New Yorkers, historians
This book makes me want to move back to NYC (though I'm probably never going to) in the same way that reading Whitman does, or watching Gangs of New York. Nobody writes about New York the way Hamill does, and that's a fact, Jack.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone who loves NYC
Almost too much. This man knows everything about NYC, past and present, and he wants to tell you all of it! Had to read something else at the same time or would have gone into info overload! Wonderful all the same.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
New York lovers!
An author's sentimental love affair with New York, but all in a good way. I took this book on a walking tour of the battery last weekend and it was incredibley interesting. Washington Square Park is next.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in June, 2008
A whimsical historical of New York City - reads like prose rather than a text book. As the title indicates, Hamill writes about a relationship with a place, and the unique nostalgia it elicits.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2006
My husband gave this to me as an illustration of Manhattan's wonders. This is a story of Pete Hamill's love affair with Manhattan. Its written from a lovers perspective--even the grit is lovely.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
A great history lesson intertwined with his emotional experiences growing up in NYC. He feels like he's lost the city he loves, and this is a great marker of time.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
recommends it for:
Those who have been in NYC and like it
This book is pretty darn good. Esp. the fact that i got it for $1. It explors NYC from a reporter's point of view, and he just does a great job.
Like this review?
yes
5 comments
I had a hard time finishing this book. Unless you are really into the history of Manhattan you might want to skip it.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
to-read
(on 33 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 20 people's shelves)
new-york (on 6 people's shelves)
non-fiction (on 5 people's shelves)
what-i-have-read (on 4 people's shelves)
nyc (on 2 people's shelves)
nonfiction (on 2 people's shelves)
history (on 2 people's shelves)
wish-list (on 1 person's shelf)
book-club (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
currently-reading (on 20 people's shelves)
new-york (on 6 people's shelves)
non-fiction (on 5 people's shelves)
what-i-have-read (on 4 people's shelves)
nyc (on 2 people's shelves)
nonfiction (on 2 people's shelves)
history (on 2 people's shelves)
wish-list (on 1 person's shelf)
book-club (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
