History

The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City

The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-11-23 03:21:34
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Sam Roberts
  • ISBN：162040978X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Gail ，

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 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！ 。。。more

Faith ，

“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 par “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。 。。。more

Meaghan ，

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 impac 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。 224At 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。 161Other 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。 。。。more

Michelle Kidwell ，

The New Yorkers31 Remarkable People， 400 Years， and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest Cityby Sam RobertsPub 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 The New Yorkers31 Remarkable People， 400 Years， and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest Cityby Sam RobertsPub 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！--- 。。。more

Katelyn Hamaker ，

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！

Kim McGee ，

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 t 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 。。。more

Gwen ，

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！

Mariama Thorlu-Bangura ，

"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 wor "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。 。。。more

Leslie ，

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 i 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。 。。。more

Casey Wheeler ，

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， Good 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。 。。。more

J Earl ，

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 usual 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。 。。。more

Karen ，

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 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！ 。。。more

Zandt McCue ，

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 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。 。。。more