Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr., Prize in American Historical Fiction Named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post and “Required Reading” by the New York Post Edward Rutherfurd celebrates America’s greatest city in a rich, engrossing saga, weaving together tales of families rich and poor, native-born and immigrant—a cast of fictional and true characters whose fates rise and … fictional and true characters whose fates rise and fall and rise again with the city’s fortunes. From this intimate perspective we see New York’s humble beginnings as a tiny Indian fishing village, the arrival of Dutch and British merchants, the Revolutionary War, the emergence of the city as a great trading and financial center, the convulsions of the Civil War, the excesses of the Gilded Age, the explosion of immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the trials of World War II, the near demise of New York in the 1970s and its roaring rebirth in the 1990s, and the attack on the World Trade Center. A stirring mix of battle, romance, family struggles, and personal triumphs, New York: The Novel gloriously captures the search for freedom and opportunity at the heart of our nation’s history.
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Wonderful mix of history and imagination. The characters are believable.
The author certainly bit off a large chew when attempting to cover hundreds of years of history in this single novel. At times he was very successful captivating the spirit of the times with sympathetic and realistic characters. At other times the plot seemed contrived. The work certainly gave you an overview of NYC including some art, …
Really buoyed an entertaining ride thru the history of our great city New York. The historical events were very true and informative, while the people placed o the narrative were interesting and believable in their story as well.
Long but worth the time if you care about understanding our history and culture.
Great read, especially if you have some NY history
I love US history and this book starts before the indians sold Manhattan Island. I learned so much about the early settlers of that area. Makes me want to go there and see where history first took place. It covers many generations right up to the World Trade Center disaster. I have recommended it to lots of people.
This was the first book I have read by this author but definitely not my last! I loved it and have recommended it to all my friends. It is very well researched and written in an entertaining, interesting way. I am getting ready to read his book “London”.
I prefer my history straight, without made-up stories.
Still reading the book, but love the different perspectives of the characters.
if you’re a New Yorker, it’s so interesting to follow the growth of places that you are so familiar with.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. ‘Michener- like’without all of the prehistoric and geological info. Follows a family through generations and events that shaped NYC. Excellent!
This is a great book and hard to put down, lot’s of details and family interaction amazing how life looks back on time
I loved this book! It covers New York City from before it was even New York all the way to current times. It’s a long book but easy-reading, keeps you going. Since it’s so long, there are many characters but the author wove generations of his characters into their time. Suddenly you’d realize someone was the son or granddaughter of a previous …
This was a great historical book about the history of New York. You will learn a lot about the families and development of the city. It is one of the best of the Rutherford books.
Great history
Traces the path of New York families from the time of the Dutch to the World Trade Center attack. Some of the characters were well defined and some not. A lot of the characters that I found interesting just faded away. Lots of interesting trivia about New York through the centuries. The author places Grant in command at Gettysburg..a huge …
Although the book was quite long, I found that each period in the history of New York was informative and the characters well rounded so that succeeding generations became like family to me as well. The book brought out many wonderful things about ny that I remember fondly even though I haven’t lived there in more than 20 years.
Well written and researched
A great way to learn about NY City’s history from the 1670s to 2009.
As are all Rutherford’s books, it takes time to read them, but I enjoyed every bit. Sometimes I lost track of the characters, but it really didn’t matter, the history was so interesting. I think I occasionally repurchase one of his books, thinking I wouldn’t want to miss one, only to find I’ve read it before. But Rutherford’s books are the kind …
One of Rutherford’s best, and they’re all good.