Reddit reviews Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898

You're very welcome! I learned most of what I know about New York City history by reading as much as I could about it. It started off as an interest, became a passion, and over the past few years I've been able to turn my love of city history into a career.

There are definitely some fabulous blogs and websites about NYC that are a good place to start if you're interested in learning more, such as Forgotten New York, Daytonian in Manhattan, Untapped Cities, Ephemeral New York, and The Bowery Boys, to name a few. The New-York Historical Society, The Museum of the City of New York, The Brooklyn Historical Society, and The New York Public Library are all great places to visit, and their respective blogs (here, here, here and here) have a ton of valuable information. Other organizations and groups have websites and social media feeds that are worth checking out. Here is a list with some amazing websites and resources to check out.

In terms of books, I recommend starting with Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace. It is comprehensive, informative, and incredibly well written. I have read it numerous times over the years, and I reference it constantly. Empire City: New York Through the Centuries by Kenneth T. Jackson and David S. Dunbar is also a good introductory book to get yourself up to speed. I have compiled a list of books for /r/nychistory, which you can view here, and it has plenty of other good choices to pick and includes different categories.

In the event that you enjoy what I do and want to learn more, feel free to check out my Twitter page (you don't need an account to view it), where I have shared over 7,000 unique historical images and photos from the city's history. I also have an Instagram account, where I am able to provide more in-depth stories about the events, buildings, views, and people that have helped make New York City the place that it is today.

The last excellent work of fiction I read was City of Dreams by Beverly Swerling. The book that I feel best captures the feeling of New York City, however, is Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin.

I mostly read nonfiction books about New York City history, and I'll share a few of my favorites with you. The definitive tome, of course, is Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 by Mike Wallace and Edwin Burrows. Another favorite of mine, as I love the history of New Amsterdam, is Island at the Center of the World:The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto. One of the most fascinating subjects I have been learning about is Native American history at the period of first European contact, and I really recommend checking out Adriaen Van Der Donck's A Description of New Netherland (The Iroquoians and their World), which many scholars agree is just as much of a significant work as William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, and would be the definitive guide to the new world if it had been written in English. Evan Pritchard's Native New Yorkers: The Legacy of the Algonquian People of New York also offers an incredible look at native culture.

If you are interested in the subway system, check out Stan Fischler's fantastic Uptown, Downtown. One of the most underrated books I have picked up recently explores the construction of the amazing Grand Central Terminal, and I learned an incredible amount from it: Grand Central's Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan. If you are interested in urban planning, I would also suggest The Measure of Manhattan: The Tumultuous Career and Surprising Legacy of John Randel Jr., Cartographer, Surveyor, Inventor.

At this point I've read a ton of nonfiction books about the city, so if you have any questions or want any other recommendations, feel free to ask!

The book Gotham is really solid. I had the author as a professor in college and he was a fountain of awesome information from the 1600's to present day. It also includes world events that affect the city in one way or another. Last I checked he was working on Gotham 2, from 1900-present day.

Only insomuch as it was a filming location for Batman. New York has always been Gotham. It's where the term originated. NY has magazines with the name, books that use it, major websites, and so on. The Batman comics took the name from New York.

The original idea for the Batman commic is that it would be set in Manhattan. It was changed to make it vague and so they could work with a fluid city, writing in features and locations without having to worry about being geographically accurate. If you want something a little more solid, please read Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898

If you find this gif interesting for the battle it shows, I can't recommend reading Gotham enough. Fascinating read on the early history of NYC. It is a tomb though, so be prepared for only reading one book for the next six months.

Totally out of context for this thread, but man, you commenters (is that a word?) Seem like who to ask... Is there a book about SF in the same vein as Gotham: A History of NYC?

This may not be the greatest suggestion but there is a book called Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 that has always looked interesting to me. It's massive, but the reviews are pretty positive. It's considered a textbook, but it's relatively cheap.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0195140494?pc_redir=1396203794&robot_redir=1


EDIT: wrong words used.

Not a documentary, but Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 is probably the best book about New York City up until the 20th century.

This is slightly different, but still relevant: I'm currently reading Gotham. Slavery was still legal in New York at the time of the Revolution, and the city was occupied by the British for nearly the entirety of the war. Many people fled the city, and many freed their slaves during this time. It wasn't out of kindness, but so they wouldn't have to support them.

Try to get your hands on this book and dig in a little bit. Super readable and amazing history.