<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>A collection of some 600 excerpts from contemporary essays and letters, plus numerous b&w photos and reproductions, capturing a panoramic picture of the city from Dutch days to the 1950s. Pieces by authors such as James Fenimore Cooper, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain are organized chronologically, covering eras such as the early national period, the emergence of the modern city (1870-1900), and the golden generation (1900-1930). A new introduction by James F. Richardson brings the account up to date.<p/><br></br><p><b> From the Back Cover </b></p></br></br>This collection of excerpts from contemporary essays and letters captures a panoramic picture of New York City as described by its awed visitors from the Dutch days to the 1960s; a new Introduction by Professor Richardson brings us up to date. James Fenimore Cooper, Frances Trollope, Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, Giuseppe Giacosa, Rudyard Kipling, and H.G. Wells, as well as lesser-known authors, are all featured in this sweeping survey of nearly 600 excerpts.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"We may say that we have here, not just another of the many books about New York, but one which does our historian credit and adds for most of us a new dimension to our knowledge of our city. "-- "--The New York Times Book Review"<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>The late Bayrd Still was Professor of History and Head of the History Department at New York University, and was recognized as an authority on the history of American cities.