Product Description
A New York Public Library Outstanding Reference Book

A visual celebration of nearly 400 years of New York City's history.

To celebrate the one-hundredth anniversay of Greater New York, what Alfred Kazin calls "a treasure of a book" is now a gorgeous paperback. The New York Times Book Review raved that The Historical Atlas of New York City "may be as close to a printed CD-ROM as paper can get." Now, this visual cornucopia of full-color maps, charts, photographs, and drawings covering four hundred years of the city's history is a trade paperback. Neighborhood by neighborhood, the Atlas takes the reader back through history, detailing such crucial events as the initial settlement of 270 people in thirty log houses; John Jacob Astor's meteoric rise from humble fur trader to the richest and most powerful man in the city; Frederick Law Olmsted's design for Central Park; and the fascinating ethnic mix of modern Queens. For both history buffs and the twenty-five million people who visit New York each year, The Historical Atlas of New York City is the guide to America's first city.
Amazon.com Review
Eric Homberger's The Historical Atlas of New York Cityshows what can be achieved within a very narrow frame ofdiscussion. With just one city to depict, Homberger explores the richvariety of details in the city's 400-year history with vivid drawingsand illustrations as well as beautifully rendered maps. The atlastakes on the geologic history of New York, major eras (Indian, Dutch,and British), and the formative 19th century, as well as theconsolidation of Greater New York, neighborhood histories of ConeyIsland and Greenwich Village, and the Big Apple exploits of 1945through 1996. But there's room for the small stuff, too, such as thepolitical and cultural role of New York's taverns in the late1700s. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

I agree
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 graphicspertaining 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.

So interesting...
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.

Good but not complete
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.

A New York Primer
Mr. Homberger's book, as the subtitle explains, is a VISUAL celebration. And on that level, the book is highly successful. In other words, don't expect any in-depth, thorough analysis of 400 years of NYC history. (For that, read Burrows and Wallace's GOTHAM.) To me, the sections dealing with pre-Revolutionary War New York are the most valuable, and Ms. Hudson's artwork is at its best there. This book is a great introduction to NYC history. I've lent my copy to several people over the years, and I return to it, again and again. Read, learn and enjoy.

Rocco Dormarunno
Author of The Five Points

NEW YORK CITY IN A NUTSHELL.
AS A DUDE FROM THE BRONX WHO IS A TRUE -BLUE NEW YORKER I FIND THIS TO BE AN INTERESTING BOOK. I LIKE THE MANY ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIAGRAMS THAT SHOW HOW PLACES I AM FAMILIAR WITH LOOKED WAY BACK IN THE DAY. IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE THIS HUGE CITY STARTING OUT AS A LITTLE VILLAGE IN LOWER MANHATTAN BUT THIS BOOK GIVES YOU SOME IDEA OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE THEN AND HOW THE CITY GREW TO BE WHAT IT IS TODAY. A GOOD BASIC HISTORY OF N.Y.C. FOR KIDS AND ADULTS. A MUST HAVE FOR NATIVES OF "NEW YAWK" AND ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN THIS GREAT CITY. P.S. DON'T FORGET THE WTC !! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

How are you going to do this to me amazon...
I still did not get my book. I needed it for class a month ago. Where's my book...The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History

A beautiful reference book
The best way to understand what you see about when visiting New York. Why is it all like this ?... How it happened to be ?... Very clear, easy to read, nice illustrations. Either before visiting the city or after. Very Good !

Review of History of New York
This is a great pictorial and editorial history of the city.Being an Aussie I was looking for something that took me back to the roots of the city which this did. Somewhat brief in many areas it is a general history lesson on the city in an easy to read format which reminded me somewhat of a high school history book.Lacks detail but was what I was looking for as an introductory and complete base knowledge of the City of NY.
My knowledge of the City is now enhanced (from nothing) to the point where I am condident I am far more knowledgable about the history, geography and culture of New York that I was prior to this purchase.

Celebration of 400 Years of NY city
This book was a gift to my daughter. SHe asked me to buy it for her for Christmas. I asked her how would she rate the book .. Phenomenal .. was her ansewer.

A researcher's short cut
The Historical Atlas of New York City solved a huge problem for me. I'm writing a novel set partly in New York in 1864, and while I lived in the City in 1964, that's a hundred years too late for this novel! I live now where research facilities are slim, and I needed something to show me where people lived, shopped, worked, entertained themselves.

This book answered my questions. It showed me which landmark buildings were on which streets then and gave me the background for the characters who inhabit my novel and the City. It has prevented me from having a character walk past the Flatiron building, or attend a ball at the Waldorf-Astoria.

It also confirmed that elderly gentlemen probably played chess in Tompkins Square Park just as they did a hundred years later, and that the brownstones around Washington Square were inhabited by wealthy families.

It has enabled me to put some of my own reminiscences (faithfully recorded in my journals of the time) into the book while avoiding some anomalies.

Not all my questions were resolved in this book, but studying the maps gave me enough information about the trains in New York to avoid some errors, like describing Grand Central Station, because it gives the date that amazing edifice was built.

A valuable addition to my own research library! ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from New York Times Upfront, published by Scholastic, Inc. on October 2, 2000. The length of the article is 547 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Topographical Map of the World.(Brief Article)
Publication: New York Times Upfront (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 2, 2000
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Volume: 133Issue: 3Page: 12

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from New York Times Upfront, published by Thomson Gale on December 11, 2006. The length of the article is 958 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: All over the map: test your geographic savvy.
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: New York Times Upfront (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 11, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 139Issue: 7Page: 12(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Small book contains thorough information about street addresses, locations of public buildings and services, public transportation, and other information for Manhattan and Bronx early in World War II. ... Read more

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Stokes, I.N. Phelps. The Iconography of Manhattan Island1498-1909. New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915. Six volumes. Reprinted 1998by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 97-30604. ISBN1-886363-30-7. Cloth. $750.Reprint edition of Stokes' magnificentand comprehensive illustrated history of Manhattan. This sweepingsurvey, originally published over the span 1915 to 1928, is dividedinto two parts, with volumes one and two comprising the first. Theseinitial volumes present historical summaries, followed by exquisiteplates and thorough plate descriptions. Part two repeats this patternin volume three; presents a detailed chronology of historical eventsand personages in volumes four and five; and concludes with anaddenda, bibliography, and index to the entire work in volumesix. Interspersed throughout are the maps, documents, photographs,engravings, illustrations, etc. that Stokes and his assistantsassembled from countless original sources. The quality and scope ofvisual representations truly befits its vast subject, Manhattan.Those concerned with the legal aspects of colonial and New Yorkhistory will be particularly interested in the wealth of material fromoriginal sources to be found throughout these six volumes. Thehistorical chronologies and detailed descriptions are enhanced by thefacsimile plates which portray records and documents showing charters,ordinances and proclamations, etc.; handbills, broadsides, surveys,plans, portraits and numerous illustrations relating to the legalhistory of New York from the "period of discovery" through the Dutchand English settlements and the Revolutionary and Civil Wars,reconstruction, industrialization through to the year 1909: theestablishment of the municipal government and the New Yorklegislature; court houses and public buildings; abolitionist clubs,meetings and riots; prisons, criminal punishments and court appeals;bank, insurance and financial institutions; various commissions andassociations; bills of exchange and credit; the British andContinental Army; the Continental and U.S. Congress; Indian treaties,international treaties; ferry and water rights; laws, duties andlicenses relating to gambling, liquor, and the lottery; as well astaxes, patents, trade and shipping; an extensive section coveringoriginal land grants and farms with maps and text of grants citingnames of land holders; religious rights such as the first legal caseof anti-Semitism; numerous cases regarding slavery and negroes; casesabout women, such as the case of a woman who was whipped by order ofthe court; immigration and alien registration, real estate holdings,crime; legal printers such as William Bradford, John Peter Zenger andJames Parker; the establishment of law schools and universities;national political personages such as George Washington, Abigail andJohn Adams, James Buchanan, Benjamin Franklin, Ulysses S. Grant, JamesMadison, and Theodore Roosevelt; colonial governors such as PetrusStuyvesant; legal personages such as James Kent; state and cityofficials and politicians, political parties, committees andelections.Benedict, Acts and Laws of the Thirteen Original Coloniesand States 296. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Original source material
The information contained in these six books is priceless, and absolutely essential for any serious researcher of New York City history.You can read the Amazon.com product description for a taste of what you can find inside. It also includes rare maps, and many other useful information.

What I found especially invaluable is the section entitled "Landmark Map" containing a history of new york city street names, and landmarks complete with citations on where to find the original source material if you wanted to dig further. I have no doubt most books published today regarding NYC street names has probably excerpted most of their information from "Iconography of Manhattan Island!"

If you are in NYC, you can peruse a copy of this book (Arno Press, reprint edition, 1967.) at the New York Public Library Jefferson Market branch. rkchin. check out http://www.tenementcity.com

The original was better
Save your money. If you can find it, pay an extra $... and buy an original copy.The printing and everything else about the original blows away this reprint.

The information is priceless, but you can probably research what you need from a library.

For the serious New York buff only. ... Read more

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This a 10 pack of paperback/pamplet (all same title) ... Read more

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Israel The Historical Atlas Here is the definitive history and atlas of Israel as the nation marks 50 years of statehood. Correspondents of The New York Times examine the political, military and social evolution of the young Jewish country as it grew from a dream to today's reality. With journalistic objectivity and onsite experience, these authors present exclusive articles on major historical events. Sidebar news reports and photographs from the Times archives complement the text with here-and-now reportage of key events. Fifty specially commissioned 4-color maps from noted historical cartographer Malcolm Swanston trace Israel's variable borders, conflicts, and settlements to show the ever-changing confluence of religion, politics, and geography that has become the nation of Israel. Celebrate the remarkable nation of Israel in this commemorative volume. By Correspondents of The New York Times ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful and comprehensive.
This is incredibly comprehensive coverage of the founding of the present state of Israel and as such, is unique. The correspondents have clearly got their fingers dirty, by digging down to the real issues behind the present state. I read this in conjunction with Richard Patton's incredible "The Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years".Having been brought up in a largely Christian culture, Patton's book about the man we call Jesus was wonderfully enhanced by the political background provided by Brinkley et al. This book should be read by anyone interested in thetroubled Middle East. It is a work that will stand long after its authors have shuffled off their mortal coil! Highly recommended. ... Read more