What do you think?
Rate this book
The Names of Pittsburgh
Bob Regan once again mines the rich vein of Pittsburgh's history by continually finding new lenses through which to view the past. His previous two books-"The Steps of Pittsburgh" and "The Bridges of Pittsburgh"-were received with acclaim, drawing fans from the Pittsburgh diaspora around the world. Undoubtedly, "The Names of Pittsburgh" will do the same as Regan explores the names of the men and women-not to mention scientific paraphernalia, patents, astronomical terms, grape varietals, et al.-from the region's history which dot the landscape. Each provides a segue into a broader discussion of some aspect of Pittsburgh's past. The book is accompanied by 100 photos, maps, and illustrations, most of them historic. It also includes 10 maps suggesting areas for independent exploration of "The Names of Pittsburgh".
- GenresNonfiction
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 20, 2020
I'm very happy to call Pittsburgh my new home town.
It's fun to learn new things about this fabulous city.
Good reference book, explaining names of streets, neighborhoods, etc.
It's fun to learn new things about this fabulous city.
Good reference book, explaining names of streets, neighborhoods, etc.
November 6, 2009
This was not as good as some of Regan's previous works, particularly The Steps of Pittsburgh Portrait of a City. Parts betray the desperate need for a copy editor or the excessive use of the STET.
Organization is dubious, some parts are confusing, and the food section is really completely extraneous. Ditto the language section; these feel like they were added to pad the book.
There are some amusing bits of trivia that even people who consider themselves to be knowledgeable about the city and its namesakes will appreciate.
I forgot when I was writing this initially - possibly the largest oversight is failure to mention the name of the guy who named many of the streets in Oakland after various literary figures. (Or if it's there, I missed it. AH HA: it was Franklin Nicola, according to this. He is mentioned, but not in that capacity.)
One good thing: it has some views of Luna Park which I've never seen in any other book. (They were drawn from the Library of Congress archive.)
Organization is dubious, some parts are confusing, and the food section is really completely extraneous. Ditto the language section; these feel like they were added to pad the book.
There are some amusing bits of trivia that even people who consider themselves to be knowledgeable about the city and its namesakes will appreciate.
I forgot when I was writing this initially - possibly the largest oversight is failure to mention the name of the guy who named many of the streets in Oakland after various literary figures. (Or if it's there, I missed it. AH HA: it was Franklin Nicola, according to this. He is mentioned, but not in that capacity.)
One good thing: it has some views of Luna Park which I've never seen in any other book. (They were drawn from the Library of Congress archive.)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews