To the people who only gave this book two stars: I wish you would write a review and let us know why!

I read this book over a lazy summer, and have never been more fascinated by a work of non-fiction. Burrows and Wallace profile the city from its "discovery" by white men to the bustle of the 1890s. They discuss almost every conceivable aspect of the city with humour and insightful research, providing us with astonishing statistics, fascinating quotes from the time, and a comprehensive scope that reaches from the aristocracy to the slums. Individual readers will have their own areas that could have been further researched, but truthfully this is a truly absorbing read. (And, since the book at least touches on every aspect of the city's history, it's a good starting point to find areas for more specialised reading.)

More so than just the history of one city, this book is a history of trade, urban life, culture and really America as a whole. It is filled with colourful personalities, uplifting stories and tragedies. In some areas, it can be quite academic with its catalogues and investigations of history, but I'm the kind of person who loves that. Better to be ambitious than lazy, I say!

I can't wait for the promised sequel to this book (chronicling the 20th century). ( )

3458. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace (read July 9, 2001) This won the 1999 History Pulitzer Prize. If it had not I doubt I'd have read it, since I live over a thousand miles from New York. It is a sweeping and magisterial history, full of interesting and amazing things, many of which were new to me. It is a great book--1236 pages of text, 69 pages of a not user-friendly bibliography, and 69 pages of index. This is a really good book, except for its failure to have decent footnotes. I am looking forward to volume II
(which finally came out in 2017 and which I completed reading on 29 Nov 2017). ( )

At 1,424 pages, this is a big book, more a handy reference than sit-down-and-read-it page turner. But if you are looking for specific facts about New York City’s early history, this is the tome for you. “The authors,” noted The New York Times Book Review, “glide easily around town, peeking inside brothels for working men in Five Points, then pressing noses to the gilt-edged windows of the uptown rich.... Burrows and Wallace offer a large-canvas portrait of a city they clearly love.” ( )

This is simply the best history of NYC until 1898, when the city we know today comprised of five boroughs was formed. All aspects of NYC history are covered in great detail. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has ever lived in NYC or just wants to learn more about it. ( )