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The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City
From award-winning New York Times reporter Sam Roberts, the story of the world's most exceptional city, told through 31 little-known yet pivotal inhabitants who helped define it.
In Sam Roberts's pulsating history of the world's most exceptional metropolis, greet the city anew through thirty-one unique New Yorkers you've probably never heard of-just in time for the city's 400th birthday.
The New Yorkers introduces the first woman to appear nude in a motion picture, becoming the face of Civic Fame as Miss Manhattan; the couple whose soirée ended the Gilded Age with an embarrassing bang; and the husband and wife who invented the modern celebrity talk show. It reveals the victim of the city's first recorded murder in the seventeenth century and the high school dropout who slashed crime rates in the twentieth. The notorious mobster who was imperiously banished from the city and the woman who successfully sued a bus company for racial discrimination a century before Rosa Parks.
Some deserved monuments, but their grandeur was overlooked or forgotten. Others shepherded the city through its perpetual evolution, but discreetly. Virtually all have vanished into New York's uncombed history. The New Yorkers is a living biography of the world's greatest city, and no one knows New York better than Sam Roberts-or is better at bringing its history to life.
In Sam Roberts's pulsating history of the world's most exceptional metropolis, greet the city anew through thirty-one unique New Yorkers you've probably never heard of-just in time for the city's 400th birthday.
The New Yorkers introduces the first woman to appear nude in a motion picture, becoming the face of Civic Fame as Miss Manhattan; the couple whose soirée ended the Gilded Age with an embarrassing bang; and the husband and wife who invented the modern celebrity talk show. It reveals the victim of the city's first recorded murder in the seventeenth century and the high school dropout who slashed crime rates in the twentieth. The notorious mobster who was imperiously banished from the city and the woman who successfully sued a bus company for racial discrimination a century before Rosa Parks.
Some deserved monuments, but their grandeur was overlooked or forgotten. Others shepherded the city through its perpetual evolution, but discreetly. Virtually all have vanished into New York's uncombed history. The New Yorkers is a living biography of the world's greatest city, and no one knows New York better than Sam Roberts-or is better at bringing its history to life.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2022
About the author
Sam Roberts
65 books51 followersSam Roberts, a 50-year veteran of New York journalism, is an obituaries reporter and formerly the Urban Affairs correspondent at the New York Times. He has hosted the New York Times "Close Up” on TV and the podcasts "Only in New York," anthologized in a book of the same name, and "The Caucus." He is the author of The New Yorkers, A History of New York in 27 Buildings, A History of New York in 101 Objects, and Grand Central, among other books. He has written for the NYT Magazine, the New Republic, New York, Vanity Fair, Foreign Affairs, and Air Mail. A history adviser to Federal Hall, he lives in New York with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 21, 2022
“What bound virtually all of them was oblivion, obscurity rather than celebrity. Hardly any could be found in history books, or have portraits now hanging in museums and public buildings. (And, to be honest, a few are here because I consider their lost personal stories so irresistibly bizarre that they demanded to be shared.)”
The author uses the biographies of 31 New Yorkers to give snapshots of various events in the city. I was more interested in the older stories than the newer ones. I was particularly interested in how the boroughs came to be combined and how New York City got included in New York State (personally, I am not in love with either of those outcomes). Some of the stories seem too inconsequential to have been included (like the model who posed for a lot of the statues in the city), but for some reason they resonated with the author. A problem with writing about less will known people is that there is a lot of guessing rather than facts. “he is said to have” or “he may have”. I really draw the line with “[his father] may have fought under George Washington in the French and Indian War”. I “may have” done that too, but I didn’t. Why speculate about something that is completely irrelevant.
So, I found the book uneven, but parts definitely interested me. However, unless you really love, and are extremely familiar with the geography of, New York I’m not sure you’d be interested in any of this.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The author uses the biographies of 31 New Yorkers to give snapshots of various events in the city. I was more interested in the older stories than the newer ones. I was particularly interested in how the boroughs came to be combined and how New York City got included in New York State (personally, I am not in love with either of those outcomes). Some of the stories seem too inconsequential to have been included (like the model who posed for a lot of the statues in the city), but for some reason they resonated with the author. A problem with writing about less will known people is that there is a lot of guessing rather than facts. “he is said to have” or “he may have”. I really draw the line with “[his father] may have fought under George Washington in the French and Indian War”. I “may have” done that too, but I didn’t. Why speculate about something that is completely irrelevant.
So, I found the book uneven, but parts definitely interested me. However, unless you really love, and are extremely familiar with the geography of, New York I’m not sure you’d be interested in any of this.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
January 7, 2023
New York City has seen nearly a billion inhabitants in its 400 year long history, and a great many of them have been very remarkable. But there are also many how had an indelible impact on the city, even if they are mostly forgotten today.
I do not like New York City. I am a Bostonian through and through. But I’ve been there many times, and I must admit that there is really no other place like it. The city has a strange essence to it, and some kind of hold over the imagination. As such, I was excited to explore its history through the biographies of thirty-one people who left their mark on the city.
The author discusses a wide variety of people who sprawl across race, socioeconomic class, profession, and the centuries with wild abandon. I enjoyed learning about this multitude of sometimes eccentric, mostly forgotten, but always impactful individuals and how they shaped the city. Roberts answered many questions I never knew I had, such as who had created Central Park, who united the boroughs into a single metropolitan area, and who came up with the idea of time zones and why.
However, I did feel that the chapters could have better arranged, because we bounce back and forth in subject and themes and sometimes chronology in a rather haphazard fashion. I would have also liked it if the author spent more time discussing the common thread through the stories, helped us follow how we went from this development to the next – while Roberts does point out how some figures tie together, it was difficult to place them all within the same framework. I also thought that sometimes the information presented in some chapters was misbalanced, with too much discussing the context of the times and too little about the person at the center of the section.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I do not like New York City. I am a Bostonian through and through. But I’ve been there many times, and I must admit that there is really no other place like it. The city has a strange essence to it, and some kind of hold over the imagination. As such, I was excited to explore its history through the biographies of thirty-one people who left their mark on the city.
The author discusses a wide variety of people who sprawl across race, socioeconomic class, profession, and the centuries with wild abandon. I enjoyed learning about this multitude of sometimes eccentric, mostly forgotten, but always impactful individuals and how they shaped the city. Roberts answered many questions I never knew I had, such as who had created Central Park, who united the boroughs into a single metropolitan area, and who came up with the idea of time zones and why.
However, I did feel that the chapters could have better arranged, because we bounce back and forth in subject and themes and sometimes chronology in a rather haphazard fashion. I would have also liked it if the author spent more time discussing the common thread through the stories, helped us follow how we went from this development to the next – while Roberts does point out how some figures tie together, it was difficult to place them all within the same framework. I also thought that sometimes the information presented in some chapters was misbalanced, with too much discussing the context of the times and too little about the person at the center of the section.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
July 18, 2022
This book is interesting in that it blends biographies of lesser known individuals with the history of New York City. This book will most interesting those raised in the area or who have a keen interest in New York City and its history. As with any book of this type, some of the biographies are more interesting than others, but overall a very good read.
I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.
I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.
June 12, 2022
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not from NYC, but I still enjoy reading about it, and learning about people from history. This book takes you from the 1600s to present day. A few stories didn't interest me much, but most were great. If you enjoy reading about people, and moments, from history you'll enjoy this!
I'm not from NYC, but I still enjoy reading about it, and learning about people from history. This book takes you from the 1600s to present day. A few stories didn't interest me much, but most were great. If you enjoy reading about people, and moments, from history you'll enjoy this!
June 10, 2022
The New Yorkers has a fantastic concept that I wish other writers would steal for other cities. New York, of course, has been more influential than most. Growing up on Long Island, every movie having taken place in NY seemed like the natural order of things. Why wouldn't this be the place where things happen? And then, now that I'm older and getting more involved with History I love when things intersect. New York is a naturally connective place.
The premise here is that we are going to be told the stories of 31 New Yorkers who had some influence on the city. Most are unknown to me by name. Some are famous but not for what the book introduces them for. The book promises you this in the forward and it absolutely pays off. We aren't treated to full biographies of each person. That's not what this is about. Each chapter focuses on one particular person and an important situation that they are involved in. Each chapter also nudges the city along in age. My familiarity grows over time. Of the place itself, not of the people. It's a reminder that New York, in some form, has always been there waiting for the right people to shape it into what it will become.
Now, I will admit that not every chapter interests me. My time for reading is really early in the morning or late at night. I'm either exhausted or about to be. Something really needs to catch my attention to keep me going. The earlier chapters were more impressionable to me. I think it's because originally the people are shaping the structure of New York. Think physicality. As we get closer to modern times, it goes further into politics and unions, and mobsters. The place is there so let's live in it. It all goes hand in hand. I do understand that. Power informs discourse. I heard Franzen say that once.
What the author manages to do here is write New York in a way that reminds me of Alan Moore's Jerusalem. New York as actualized mythology. And these people that we are presented with are ingrained in its DNA. Only time will tell if I will remember any of them in the long run. After all, most of them are here for that very fact. For fans of New York, for people that love that city, this one is for you.
July 13, 2022
The New Yorkers by Sam Roberts combines biography and history into a compelling story of a city and, by extension, the country.
There have been a couple of books that have used this method of tracing the history of a city. Roberts mentions Parisians, and there have been a couple of others. Each puts a slightly different twist on the idea of a history or, as this one calls it, a biography of a city. Makes sense since each city is different. This volume works very well.
I enjoy biographies but usually want more about lesser-known people. While there have been more like that in recent years, they also lend themselves to being almost niche reads, in that I might want to read about lesser-known activists but not lesser-known sports figures, while someone else might be the opposite. This book brings together a variety of people and, because there is a thread tying them together, even they all were of interest to me. Not equally, but there were none I skipped or skimmed because each covered a period and a moment in the bigger picture and I wanted the complete picture, not a partial.
Each chapter is a mix of contextualizing history as well as the story of, usually, a particular incident in the person's life and how that event fit in both their life and the city's history. So everything is woven into a tight fabric that entertains and informs.
In recommending this there are the usual suspects, readers of biographies and readers of history, particularly those interested in NYC. I would also include a specific type of reader, one who likes to have a book handy for when they have limited time and don't want to dive back into a novel or a long single argument nonfiction book. This book can easily be enjoyed as a collection of biographic episodes as well as a single 'biography' of New York. So if you keep collections of short stories or essays handy, this would make an excellent candidate as well.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
There have been a couple of books that have used this method of tracing the history of a city. Roberts mentions Parisians, and there have been a couple of others. Each puts a slightly different twist on the idea of a history or, as this one calls it, a biography of a city. Makes sense since each city is different. This volume works very well.
I enjoy biographies but usually want more about lesser-known people. While there have been more like that in recent years, they also lend themselves to being almost niche reads, in that I might want to read about lesser-known activists but not lesser-known sports figures, while someone else might be the opposite. This book brings together a variety of people and, because there is a thread tying them together, even they all were of interest to me. Not equally, but there were none I skipped or skimmed because each covered a period and a moment in the bigger picture and I wanted the complete picture, not a partial.
Each chapter is a mix of contextualizing history as well as the story of, usually, a particular incident in the person's life and how that event fit in both their life and the city's history. So everything is woven into a tight fabric that entertains and informs.
In recommending this there are the usual suspects, readers of biographies and readers of history, particularly those interested in NYC. I would also include a specific type of reader, one who likes to have a book handy for when they have limited time and don't want to dive back into a novel or a long single argument nonfiction book. This book can easily be enjoyed as a collection of biographic episodes as well as a single 'biography' of New York. So if you keep collections of short stories or essays handy, this would make an excellent candidate as well.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
November 22, 2022
New York certainly delivers. The book is chocked full of colorful characters and stories of the people who were in New York when the island was a muddy island. The book provides so much back story that when reading you feel like you are a witness to the events. What makes this book different from other books about New York is the level of detail. Little stories about the first pre-nuptial agreement and how the part of lower Manhattan was fought over by one family for years.
The book is dense, and is best read in increments or on a lazy Sunday. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to learn so much about this great city!
The book is dense, and is best read in increments or on a lazy Sunday. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to learn so much about this great city!
January 21, 2023
Great stories about early New York and New Yorkers. Delves into the (mostly) unsung individuals who were part of the development of what we now know to be New York City and the surrounding boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island). If you are not familiar with street names and areas, you may need to do a little research yourself to get the most out of this book. I found it fascinating and have purchased it for a friend.
Recommended
Recommended
September 17, 2025
The good is that each chapter of the book is like its own stand-alone biography, so I often read a chapter and then put the book down for quite a while. The bad is that some chapters were hard to care about and a real slog. Pretty hit or miss.
Want to Read
October 19, 2024Giveaway !!
July 17, 2025
nearly 500 pages about history altering New Yorkers and Samantha from Sex and the City doesn’t get mentioned once?
February 8, 2026
There are many ways to recount history--in this entertaining narrative, Sam Roberts tells the history of New York by recounting the lives of 31 people. Each story is a look at an era in NY.
October 26, 2022
Many people consider New York City to be the greatest city in the world — mostly New Yorkers. Regardless of personal preferences, there is no doubt New York is a significant cultural center. On the eve of the city’s 400th anniversary, author Sam Roberts chose to tell the history of the city through 31 people who left their mark on the metropolis.
Starting with the Dutch colonial founding to the neighborhood fight for the Brownsville neighborhood, the highlighted individuals made significant impacts on the city and their influence is still seen, even if their name is not remembered.
About half of the subjects were familiar to me so I was especially interested in learning about the unknown. One of my favorites was Audrey Munson, a famous beauty and model who posed for dozens of statues that still stand around New York.
AAudrey Munson, the small-town teenager whose porcelain features and sublime figure recast America’s mores and catapulted her to instant recognition after her own more visible talents were discovered fortuitously, if randomly, in Midtown. … From a dozen or more granite, marble, bronze, and copper monuments all over Manhattan, Munson’s face still stares inscrutably, but incognito — her name and her own ephemeral fame all but forgotten. ~Pg. 224
At the absolute height of the Gilded Age, the Bradley Martins were at the absolute height of their influence. And when the Panic of 1897 set in, those in the extreme upper echelon were insulated from the deprivations and instability everyone else had to endure. Cornelia Bradley-Martin decided the solution was to support hoteliers, florists, couturiers and others by holding a fancy dress ball. She seemingly did not see how insulting a display of debauchery would be to those who couldn’t find a meal or a warm place to sleep. One would think she would have learned from the same mistake Queen Victoria made to hold a massive ball to support the Spitalfields silk spinners.
‘For Heaven’s sake, do no jeopardize, for the enjoyment of a few hours’ wanton waste of wealth, the permanence of the system that has made possible and makes possible the accumulation of this wealth. By the display of your wealth you will cause those whom you have despoiled to rise up and unhorse you.’ ~Pg. 161
Other entries include Charles Dowd, who formalized time zones around the train timetables; Anneke Jans Bogardus whose descendants still contest her land ownership to this day; Christian Harriot and the wandering pigs of the city; and Andrew H. Green, his murder, and the annexation of Brooklyn.
This book can easily be picked up and read in short sessions — or taken at once to watch the city morph in front of your eyes. Each chapter stands alone and gives plenty of context for the reader. The only thing the reader needs to bring is a sense of curiosity. It’s a heartfelt love letter to the author’s favorite city.
My thanks to Emily at Bloomsbury for the review copy.
Starting with the Dutch colonial founding to the neighborhood fight for the Brownsville neighborhood, the highlighted individuals made significant impacts on the city and their influence is still seen, even if their name is not remembered.
About half of the subjects were familiar to me so I was especially interested in learning about the unknown. One of my favorites was Audrey Munson, a famous beauty and model who posed for dozens of statues that still stand around New York.
AAudrey Munson, the small-town teenager whose porcelain features and sublime figure recast America’s mores and catapulted her to instant recognition after her own more visible talents were discovered fortuitously, if randomly, in Midtown. … From a dozen or more granite, marble, bronze, and copper monuments all over Manhattan, Munson’s face still stares inscrutably, but incognito — her name and her own ephemeral fame all but forgotten. ~Pg. 224
At the absolute height of the Gilded Age, the Bradley Martins were at the absolute height of their influence. And when the Panic of 1897 set in, those in the extreme upper echelon were insulated from the deprivations and instability everyone else had to endure. Cornelia Bradley-Martin decided the solution was to support hoteliers, florists, couturiers and others by holding a fancy dress ball. She seemingly did not see how insulting a display of debauchery would be to those who couldn’t find a meal or a warm place to sleep. One would think she would have learned from the same mistake Queen Victoria made to hold a massive ball to support the Spitalfields silk spinners.
‘For Heaven’s sake, do no jeopardize, for the enjoyment of a few hours’ wanton waste of wealth, the permanence of the system that has made possible and makes possible the accumulation of this wealth. By the display of your wealth you will cause those whom you have despoiled to rise up and unhorse you.’ ~Pg. 161
Other entries include Charles Dowd, who formalized time zones around the train timetables; Anneke Jans Bogardus whose descendants still contest her land ownership to this day; Christian Harriot and the wandering pigs of the city; and Andrew H. Green, his murder, and the annexation of Brooklyn.
This book can easily be picked up and read in short sessions — or taken at once to watch the city morph in front of your eyes. Each chapter stands alone and gives plenty of context for the reader. The only thing the reader needs to bring is a sense of curiosity. It’s a heartfelt love letter to the author’s favorite city.
My thanks to Emily at Bloomsbury for the review copy.
September 17, 2022
The New Yorkers
31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City
by Sam Roberts
Pub Date 25 Oct 2022
Bloomsbury USA, Bloomsbury Publishing
Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)
I am reviewing a copy of The New Yorkers through Bloomsbury USA and Netgalley:
Sam Roberts has a pulsating history of the world's most exceptional metropolis, greet the city anew through thirty-one unique New Yorkers you've probably never heard of-just in time for the city's 400th birthday.
Sam Roberts introduces the first woman to appear nude in a motion picture, becoming the face of Civic Fame as Miss Manhattan; couple whose soirée ended the Gilded Age with an embarrassing bang; and the husband and wife who invented the modern celebrity talk show. The book also reveals New York’s first recorded murder in the seventeenth century as well as the high school drop out who slashed New York’s crime rates in the twentieth century. The notorious mobster who was imperiously banished from the city and the woman who successfully sued a bus company for racial discrimination a century before Rosa Parks.
Some deserved monuments, but their grandeur was overlooked or forgotten. Others shepherded the city through its perpetual evolution, but discreetly. Virtually all have vanished into New York's uncombed history. The New Yorkers is a living biography of the world's greatest city, and no one knows New York better than Sam Roberts-or is better at bringing its history to life.
I give The New Yorkers five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
---
31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City
by Sam Roberts
Pub Date 25 Oct 2022
Bloomsbury USA, Bloomsbury Publishing
Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)
I am reviewing a copy of The New Yorkers through Bloomsbury USA and Netgalley:
Sam Roberts has a pulsating history of the world's most exceptional metropolis, greet the city anew through thirty-one unique New Yorkers you've probably never heard of-just in time for the city's 400th birthday.
Sam Roberts introduces the first woman to appear nude in a motion picture, becoming the face of Civic Fame as Miss Manhattan; couple whose soirée ended the Gilded Age with an embarrassing bang; and the husband and wife who invented the modern celebrity talk show. The book also reveals New York’s first recorded murder in the seventeenth century as well as the high school drop out who slashed New York’s crime rates in the twentieth century. The notorious mobster who was imperiously banished from the city and the woman who successfully sued a bus company for racial discrimination a century before Rosa Parks.
Some deserved monuments, but their grandeur was overlooked or forgotten. Others shepherded the city through its perpetual evolution, but discreetly. Virtually all have vanished into New York's uncombed history. The New Yorkers is a living biography of the world's greatest city, and no one knows New York better than Sam Roberts-or is better at bringing its history to life.
I give The New Yorkers five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
---
December 21, 2022
"The New Yorkers" by Sam Roberts is a unique book. Most times, people write about well-known figures. Roberts does the opposite, writing instead about 31 figures that played integral roles in New York history. Each chapter is a mini adventure into the person's life, and the unique role they play in history. A few I knew of beforehand, from reading other books, but most were new to me. Roberts' style of writing is conversational. There is never a point where the text seems too scholarly, with words that you have to look up just to understand the sentence. The illustrations are limited, with 1 or 2 per chapter, but in this case, that works. One or two per chapter is all that is needed, as the text is more important than the illustrations. This book is a wonderful addition to the multitude of books on New York history already in existence, as well as a wonderful addition to the portfolio of Sam Roberts books.
Thanks to NetGalley, Sam Roberts, and Bloomsbury USA publishing for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley, Sam Roberts, and Bloomsbury USA publishing for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 19, 2022
31 ordinary people who made major strides in the creation of this magnificent city - their stories along with background of what the city was like at the time provide insight with a broad timeline.
These are somewhat average people who you probably haven't heard about before and some of their contributions seemed insignificant at the time but they added to the progressive spirit and character of New York City. Most were immigrants or first generation Americans from artist's muses to politicians to criminals and their victims or those whose one voice stood out for justice amidst so many. Sam Roberts, as the obit writer for the NEW YORK TIMES provides an interesting history lesson that is a must for every resident of New York or those interested in New York as an example of how immigrants made this country what it is today. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
3 1/2 stars
These are somewhat average people who you probably haven't heard about before and some of their contributions seemed insignificant at the time but they added to the progressive spirit and character of New York City. Most were immigrants or first generation Americans from artist's muses to politicians to criminals and their victims or those whose one voice stood out for justice amidst so many. Sam Roberts, as the obit writer for the NEW YORK TIMES provides an interesting history lesson that is a must for every resident of New York or those interested in New York as an example of how immigrants made this country what it is today. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
3 1/2 stars
September 2, 2023
Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City is an interesting one. New York City ranks up there with London and Paris as the most documented cities in the English language, so Roberts' approach of exploring the city through the profiles of relatively unknown citizens (the most famous of whom is arguably John Jay) is a fresh one. Unfortunately, the prose itself just isn't very compelling. The New Yorkers is dry and at times bloated, slowing the pace down to a crawl. It also fails to capture the essence of NYC and how it shapes its people, which is essential for a book like this.
The premise of The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City is an interesting one. New York City ranks up there with London and Paris as the most documented cities in the English language, so Roberts' approach of exploring the city through the profiles of relatively unknown citizens (the most famous of whom is arguably John Jay) is a fresh one. Unfortunately, the prose itself just isn't very compelling. The New Yorkers is dry and at times bloated, slowing the pace down to a crawl. It also fails to capture the essence of NYC and how it shapes its people, which is essential for a book like this.
October 24, 2023
I loved the concept going in: short biographies of relatively obscure people who’ve lived in New York City (a place I’ve lived for nearly 3 years now and love dearly) and have had a meaningful impact on this city’s history. The book was fascinating at many times, and some of the people were truly interesting to learn about — but boy, the writing is dreadfully dense. I’m a fairly well-read and well-educated person, but there were at least 2-3 words per chapter whose meanings I didn’t know. Longer than necessary sentences and difficult-to-parse prose made many of these stories a slog to get through. I would’ve enjoyed this a lot more if it were written in a more approachable way.
March 26, 2024
I am a sucker for NYC history books. What makes Manhattan great is the combination of individual people living together. This was a cool way to tell the story of New York as a biography of lesser known, yet tremendously influential individuals. It felt almost like a mini docu-series each chapter. Shout out to all the people in NYC who are making a quiet difference every day. I like to think maybe I got to be a part of the delivery for one of the city’s future change-makers/trail blazers while working in labor and delivery in Queens. Or brushed shoulders with someone changing the city on a subway ride. I’ll never know. And that is kind of awesome.
July 21, 2022
Love, love, LOVE this book. If you are into urban history, this book will take you into the burroughs and byways of New York through the stories of the inhabitants. I read Edward Rutherfurd's "New York" just before this, and now, after gaining so much more insight through the book, I will read it again. You can't go wrong with this book. Even if you aren't a history lover, you will enjoy this well-written, captivating book.
Thank you NetGalley for providing this copy. The opinion in this review is my own.
Thank you NetGalley for providing this copy. The opinion in this review is my own.
July 8, 2023
Journalist Sam Roberts profiles 31 individuals from New York history that you've probably never heard of before. Ranging from the 1600s to the 1940s these stories highlight cultural trends and events that wove the fabric of the city for good or ill. I'd never say that history is dry, but it might be good to have a water bottle handy while reading this. There's a lot of detail when a shorter, livelier retelling might have been better. An admirable undertaking, but more tailored to the geek crowd. Actual rating: 2.5
September 6, 2023
The New Yorkers has an interesting premise of short chapters on obscure New Yorkers who had an impact on the way the city was established and on how it grew. Unfortunately the writing style was a bit much for the topic at hand and it awkwardly wavered between academic and casual/witty which made it hard to get through at times. The author definitely did their research and was great at pulling in the inter-connecting information as to why the people in the book were both instrumental in NYC's history and why they are lesser known today.
August 11, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. As a native New Yorker I enjoyed these bits of history that were either long forgotten or basically untold. While obviously some interested me more than others I found most to be really interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone (you don’t have to have any connection to New York) that enjoys reading history and biographies that are blended together. All in all an wonderful read!
September 18, 2022
If you are interested in New York real estate of the past, then this will be a winner for you. It focuses heavily on political figures and those who made progress in creating the NYC landscape that it is today. It is also very wordy; I had to look up several words I had never seen before. This is well written and exceptionally researched, but just not what I was expecting. Thank you for the free review e-copy Netgalley & Bloomsbury USA!
May 9, 2023
The material is interesting but the writing is thick. There's a dizzying number of people introduced, and often a thought starts out in one paragraph and is finished a few paragraphs later. It really needs a glod editor.
July 14, 2023
I made the mistake of listening to this one and I think it would likely be much more effective in print, hopefully filled with pictures, maps, documents, etc. So many details got lost because I didn’t have visual references.
March 13, 2025
This is a really neat collection of biographies on a number of people I haven't heard of, yet their contributions to New York City have been clear. I like the way the author lined up each of the biographies and how they connected to one another through the last 400 years.
March 20, 2023
A fairly unorthodox approach to chronicaling the history of New York.
Read
September 25, 2023Not much to say here except that i learned a lot! It took me a long time to get through this but I think that's kind of ideal. Meet a couple new yorkers a day for a few days.
March 8, 2024
Closer to 3 3/4 stars
If you are a history buff & love NYC history, you would probably enjoy this book.
If you are a history buff & love NYC history, you would probably enjoy this book.
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