No, this is not a quickie paperback rushed into print after September 11.
The Frommers' book, subtitled An Oral History of Life in the City During the Mid-Twentieth Century, is a loving look at a Manhattan that now seems impossibly distant, a Manhattan whose citizens worried about open admissions at City College and how they felt about the Beatles and whether they could afford to live on the East Side'but never about terrorist bombers. It is a Manhattan now lost to us forever, a Manhattan to be recollected in tranquility and cherished as never before.
The Frommers' mid-twentienth century ranges from the early post-World War II years to the mid-1970s, when the city nearly went bust. Like their earlier books (It Happened in the Catskills, It Happened in Brooklyn, It Happened on Broadway), this one is an oral history, an irresistible collection of interviews with Manhattanites rich and poor, talented and ordinary, famous and unknown, clearly united in their unanimous conviction that Manhattan was, is, and always will be the most exciting place on earth.
Here is a New York in which the Third Avenue el still existed and traffic on Fifth Avenue ran both ways, in which eleven daily newspapers covered the city beat and Walter Winchell and Ed Sullivan covered café society; in which proper young working girls still wore hats and white gloves and businesswomen couldn't get bank loans; in which Lincoln Center was going up and Penn Station was coming down and SoHo was still a dream in a gallery owner's eye.
Here are Jewish kids growing up on the Lower East Side, black kids growing up in Harlem, Italian kids growing up in the Bronx with Manhattan only a fifteen-cent train ride away. Here are politicians and performers, priests and rabbis, press agents and jazz musicians, restaurateurs and fashion designers and Tin Pan Alley songwriters, all talking in that excited New Yorker way about what a great time they had in their great city. You can almost see the hands waving.
Not many of these voices will be known to those unlucky enough never to have lived in Manhattan. Jimmy Breslin and Pauline Trigère and Robert Merrill and Jane Jacobs, most likely, but not that many others. Who but a Manhattanite will know Elaine Kaufman as the owner of a restaurant called Elaine's? Who outside of the advertising business will recognize Jerry Della Femina? Who but a New Yorker will remember the political ins and outs that brought us Robert Moses and Robert Wagner, Abe Beame and John Lindsay?
It really doesn't matter. with their tales of chocolate egg creams and 15-cent subway rides and standing room only at the old Met, are as stirring as those of the famous. The content . . . all of it is so fascinating.
As for that other thing that happened in Manhattan on September 11, there is one tiny reference to the World Trade Center toward the end of the book by Daily News sports cartoonist Bill Gallo: 'I always thought of buildings like heavyweight champions. The Empire State Building was the champion. Then the Twin Towers came up, and you felt sorry for the Empire State Building. That was still your champion.'
And is once again.

Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer look back to an earlier period of New York's history in 'It Happened in Manhattan.' Subtitled 'an oral history of life in the city during the mid-twentieth century,' the book covers a period from the end of World War II to the mid-1970s. Ordinary people and New York celebrities reminisce about the architectural and culinary glories of Manhattan and about the personalities and institutions that dominated business and the arts in those decades. Exclusively black-and-white photographs illustrate this backward glance at New York in the innocent '50s and the adventurous '60s and '70s.

Contrary to the popular notion, nostalgia is pretty much what it's always been, judging by the latest offering from the Frommers ('It Happened on Broadway' 1998, etc.). The professors Frommer (Liberal Arts/Dartmouth) have gathered interviews with iconoclastic New Yorkers Jerry Della Femina, Robert Merrill, Jimmy Breslin, Monte Irvin, Elaine Kaufman, Saul Zabar, and 57 others. They recall life in Manhattan from the end of World War II to the mid seventies. The New York of wonder is evoked once more with as in Proust, the reference to indigenous food (e.g., entrees at Le Pavilion or classic egg creams). And from Harlem to Wall Street, Washington Heights to Greenwich Village, there are old churches and delis gone by, the surviving Guggenheim and the lost Automats, Lincoln Center newly built and Lewisohn Stadium since gone. There are shopkeepers with pencil stubs behind their ears and practitioners of the rag trades, artists, sportswriters, and gossip columnists. The memorists speak with the distinct flavor of Yiddish or of Italian. And there's a Hispanic rhythm and that of Lenox Avenue too. Study the ladies in gloves, the gents in fedoras, the haberdashers' billboards, the movie marquees, the street furniture. Self-congratulatory oral history, garrulous nostalgia, and great fun for those who recall the days of Tin Pan Alley and three baseball teams in one small, favored place

These Cognoscenti things have done to maps what cooking did to food. They are highly palatable (readable) and edible (don't make me dizzy). I used to get into auto accidents using giant maps that would cover the whole windshield while I tried to drive, so you can imagine how skeptical I was when my friend told me about Cognoscenti "Map" Guides. Turns out these things are so clear ANYONE can use them. With my Cognoscenti Map Guide in hand I felt like I could help people around New York! It truly made New York accesible to people like me. Thanks Cognoscenti Map Guides.

After causing several car accidents due to large fold-out maps covering my windhsield as I attempted to roar down interstates I was a tad skeptical when my friend Joey told me Cognoscenti Map Guides were the best guides he'd seen. I was used to large guide books which would weigh me down and take up space in my pack I could have used for skotch. But this guide has it all. Tons of info AND a slim and sleak design. Thank you COgnscenti!

Who are the people of Cognoscenti and how have they suddenly come to be making such wonderful map guides? It is as if they have plummed the depths of every wayfarer's knowledge of the great city and are out to tell all. I am an old man, wary of travel, easily confused, hesitant of adventure. But this guide has taken care of everything - well-labeled maps, distinctive descriptions of sites, a concise history of the area, suggestions for a memorable evening. Well worth it.

Gillian Segal captures the essence of New York City with her fine photography and wonderfully entertaining vinettes on each person. If you are a New Yorker or yearn to be one you'll really love how this book introduces you to some of it's characters.

If you admire great photography and exquisite prose and feel the slightest attachment (or wish you did) to New York, then Gillian Segal's book is for you. I moved from New York a little over ten years ago and was determined to keep in touch with the city I love. However, it was only a matter of time before I lost touch with what really made New York special: the people's unique personalities. Gillian's book has allowed me to reestablish contact with the city that I still like to call home. Now, when my colleagues in Providence ask me what to do in New York, I no longer provide them with a mundane and outdated list of restaurants and sites. Instead, I refer them to Mrs. Segal's book. I inform them that in its pages is where they can find the real New York. Everything from great food, The Egg Cake Lady, to a wonderful opera on 57th street, performed by Opera Man, to a great jogging partner, the Mayor of the Reservoir (he is featured on the cover) can be found in "New York Characters".

This book should appear along with Giuliani and Pataki in the promotional campaigns to bring people back to New York City. The author has obviously captured the flavor of what makes New York City so special. The range of interesting and vibrant characters is displayed with affection and amusement. She has unearthed some real treasures. A light and enjoyable portrait that arrives at a perfect time . . .

this book will move you. i have viewed many photo books and exhibits and have found many to be interesting and technically proficient. this book easily jumps those hurdles, but more importantly, the images on these pages reach out of their simple wood pulp shelter to touch your heart.

white, black, or blue; gospel lover or country western, you owe it to yourself to spend time with this group of deeply felt images.

buy two copies.

We've Come This Far is an insider's inside look at a pillar of African American Christianity, Abyssinian Baptist Church. Bob Gore's skill as a photographer and his commitment to his faith are evident on each page of this lovingly crafted work. In some cultures in the world, taking a photograph of a person is looked at with trepidation because it is believed to be an attempt to capture the subject's soul. And that's exactly what Mr. Gore has done in this book and there is no need for fear. The pictures and accompanying essays capture real life/real time moments in the broad scope of the life and spirit of this historic church.

The rich and vibrant history of Abysinnian Church and the Harlem community is revealed in this work by Bob Gore. The photos are of such superior quality that you can feel the message conveyed in the picture without using the text. With the additon of text there is a wonderful account of the Harlem experience, chock full of information about the history and the individual personal expressions of those who were there when it happened. This photographic journal is vibrant and colorful in both word and image. There are real accounts of Abysinnian Baptist Church's history, including it's spiritual, political, social and economic relationships with the communities that it serves. I urge you to consider this book not just for reading but also as an important addition to your library.

This is the best photographic book I have ever seen. Its pictures of The Big Apple are magnificent! Comparative pictures taken in years past, many in the 1920s, show how sections of the city have changed. Whether one is a fan of New York and who isn't, you will enjoy this book. It makes me want all the other "Above" books now.

This book is really great. I recommend it to anyone who loves NY!

Robert Cameron's book, "Above New York", is one of the best photographic books that I've seen in recent years. Some areas of the city are chronicled from an historic perspective, while other areas are displayed in their modern beauty. I appreciate the juxtaposition of the older photos with their more modern counterparts.

His views of downtown are especially well-done, and in light of recent times, it was a comfort to see the skyline in the traditional beauty. The view of the Twin Towers rising from the battery with Lady Liberty in the foreground seems especially meaningful in these times when our freedom seems threatened.

Even if you can't visit the bakeries and restaurants of the Lower East Side (and you should) you can enjoy the ethnic flavors by reading Joyce Mendelsohn's book. Like the best historians, she tells stories of the past from a present-day perspective. New York is a city of remakes, architectural and cultural--Mendelsohn combines both. As a former History teacher, I recommend it for a good read.

Joyce Mendelsohn gives an excellent walking tour of the Lower East Side pointing out landmarks with interesting facts and accurate accounts of the rich history here. Anyone who lives on the Lower East Side or whose relatives came from the Lower East Side should read this book complete with period and modern photographs. I loved it.

This is an essential book for anyone who lives in or plans to visit New York City. The first 22 pages give a succinct but by no means shallow history of immigration to New York, beginning with the earliest slaves arriving in New Amsterdam in 1626 to the latest arrivals of Hispanics and Asians in the later years of the 20th century. The remainder of the book consists of four self-guided walking tours, each approximately 2 hours long, through 4 different neighborhoods of the Lower East Side. The description of each tour begins with directions for arriving at the starting point by public transportation--a helpful bit of information. Among the various sites on the tour are the birthplace of Eddie Cantor, the first municipal-built playground in the U.S., the place where Arthur Murry took his first dance steps, the library that Leon Trostsky used when he lived in NY in 1917, and the Wah Mei Bird Garden, where caged Asian song thrushes fill the morning air with song. The book is small enough to carry around easily. The index is especially good. The photographs, new and old, give a sense of the city both today and yesterday. This is a friendly book.

I found the Eyewitness Guide to be unexpectedly detailed in listing the various sights of the city, though not nearly as much as a more textual guide, e.g., the Fodor's. I'm sure, however, the photography is an element which helps tourists orient themselves quite a bit more easily than the more cumbersome (but more informative) Fodor's. That said, quite a bit of history and explanation is woven into the Eyewitness as well, and it makes up for its relative conciseness with enticing design. The guide is a book which would actually make one want to visit New York, and one which makes navigation within it quite simplified. Furthermore, it seems more portable. Combining quite a bit of information with the visual beauty of a National Geographic guide made this a success.

The guide does seem to be tailored quite a bit toward non-American tourists, with descriptions of how payphones work and of American cuisine. Still, a bit of laughably obvious information to Americans is made up for with such features as two page spreads for relatively unvisited museums and attractions, with isometric diagrams and "must-see" exhibits.

I have been collecting DK's travel guides for a long time and the least I can say about them is that there are absolutely no such travel guides available in bookshops like these ones. They capture all the very best of the cities and countries and allow you to enjoy the most of your travel destination.

Concerning to New York City, DK again manages to do a great job. I doubt there is a better way to explore NY.

I've been in NY three times. At the end of June, I will be there again. How could I get in the plane without DK travel guide???

It's a must buy, believe me. Guarantee your copy right away!!!

I live outside of New York City and rarely visit the city. But after Sept 11th I wanted a guide that I could use to explore the places I've never been to (as well as ones I have been to). The DK Guides are great for the amount of information they provide and this guide is no exception. There is information in this book that even a native New Yorker may not know. The book talks about the history and architecture of buildings that you may otherwise walk by. There are museums that I've never heard of. There are street by street maps of some of Manhattan's great neighborhoods. I have used the book to plan a walking trip from Penn Station to Rockefeller Center and back via Time Square. I am planning many future walking trips with this book. If the book is two heavy to carry, buy two. One for permanent reference and the other to "rip out" the pages of the places you are planning to visit. This guide book is well worth the money.

If you are looking for a book to give you general knowledge on better known trout fishing streams in Pennsylvania, then this book will meet your needs. Unfortunately, the author does not do a good job of covering remote streams in many parts of the state that are excellent producing streams and beautiful places to fish. I was especially disappointed in his lack of coverage of streams in McKean and Warren County. I would not recommend this book to an avid Pennsylvania fisherman. The book is adequate for an out-of-state fisherman who is looking to fish some of the more popular streams in PA.

Book covered all of fundamentals of Pennsylvania fly fishing.Good for novices and out of town people. Gives needed information regarding lodging and services. The book does fall short in the amount of streams visited. Many wild trout and stocked streams went unmentioned. This was a big miss.

This comprehensive book on Pennsylvania waterways and fishing holes is a must have for any fishing person and nature lover alike. Dave Wolf includes highly detailed maps, hatching dates of every type of fish alive in Pennsylvania plus advice on the best methods of catching those fish. Not only that, he gives you listings of local hotels and restaurants, hospitals, car rentals, airports and fly shops.

Best of all, this guide book is gleaned from years of personal experiences fishing in America's rivers and streams. It is filled with detailed advice and information which proves invaluable to fishermen and lovers of the great outdoors.

I liked the fact that this map covered Manhattan in its entirety, but found the printing on the map a bit too tiny, and you had to turn it over to see the continuation of the island. Other than that, it is a good basic map and handy fold up size. Also quite sturdy.

I lived in Manhattan for 10 years, and I lived by this map. It's essential.

This is the map to get - small enough to not make you look like a big dork if you need to do a quick "map check" while out on the streets and very easy to carry around, but with plenty of detail, and very easy to immediately read with important buildings marked. It's also laminated for durability.

This little map really increased our enjoyment of New York, and I can recommend it with confidence.

Before leaving Germany for my next job at Langley Air Force Base, VA, I discovered Jasper Burns' book and ordered it from Amazon.com (THE Bookstore that linked us to home while away and connects us to the world now that we are back). Suffice it to say, I was biting at the bit to see if Mr. Burns' words would bear fruit, or more importantly, fossils. In short, his location directions and pictures of fossils to be found there were spot on. If they were listed in the book, I have found and added them to my collection i.e sharks teeth (some as large as 6 inches),whale vertebrae, shells, etc... An excellent guide and reference! If you live on or plan to visit the Mid Atlantic Coast and enjoy spending time searching and finding fossils, this is THE book to own. Thank you Mr. Burns and thank you Amazon.

One of the few books that reveals actual fossil hunting locations--for good reason. Because of frequent visiting, some of these sites have experienced overcollecting or damage to the natural surroundings (undermining rock faces, etc.). If visiting, please be sensitive to the environment and the site's neighbors. Best to stick to quarries or big highway cuts, where environmental impact is not a factor. These happened to be more productive fossil-wise than the more scenic locations, anyway, so everyone wins!

This book was helpful for me because of the life-like illustrations. While I have only visited one site discussed by the author, his drawings have been a great comparison point against the typical fossil guides' pictures.

The author's interest in his hobby is contagious - I recommend you read the book and share his passion.