I remember the first time I saw New York. I was with my parents and we drove down through Pennsylvania from Canada, over the Susquehanna and into New Jersey. As we came around the turnpike, I recognized a city scape rising up over my left shoulder. Through the dusty car window and the haze, perspective was compressed and the distant city looked like jutting grey teeth. Emotionally I realized it was THE CITY, before I could make sense of the angle. It didn't fit with all the t.v. vistas and documentary pictures I had been raised on. It was unique, and it was fresh and it was my discovery.

As years go by and a once distant and monumental city becomes rationalized by repetitive experience, it is easy to lose the first sense of discovery, that dreamy feeling of seeing a great city for the first time.

"New York: Literary Lights" restores that magical quality. The book is an alphabetical listing of most of the great writers, publishers and writing haunts and events that have shaped the modern american mythos. More than just a back to back of mini-biographies, it is a secret map of the vital human side of New York. Streets that had begun to fade jumped back to life for me when I read that one of my favourite writers lived or worked there. The biographies are primarily about writers, but weave a rich fabric that depicts the literary history of New York. As I read deep into the book I found myself flipping back and forth, trying to pick up the trail of a place, or an event and its recurrant impact on New York literature. The writing is deft and chatty, the kind of writing that satisfies like gossip, but stays in mind much longer.

Although some of the stories and characters are legendary and quintessentially Gotham, like, say, Hart Crane, Norman Mailer, or the bar where Dylan Thomas took his last twelve drinks, the bulk of the book is deeper and more penetrating. There are several excellent entries on the Harlem scene, as well as the Jewish scene before and after the second world war. And I learned much about the generous nature of Nathaniel West. The merit of the book however, is Corbett's ability to go beyond the merely encycopedic- to bring out aspects or facts about a writer's life that I did not know. I learned more about people I thought I knew such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Edgar Allan Poe.

Although I did not expect such devices, there is an excellent sectional map of Manhattan and Brooklyn which details the districts in which famous writers worked. As well, there is a nice glossary of quotes about New York, containing both the old familiar ones such as Hemingway's "Literary New York is a bottle of tapeworms trying to feed on each other" to Rem Koohaus' "In Manhattan, surrealism is invisible".

I managed to read this book before my last trip to New York. I regret this action, because if I had saved it, I could have extended the inevitable imaginal travel that takes place only when you have physically left a place behind.

I recommend this book highly, both as city guide of sorts and as a great armchair trip.

An astonishing variety of experiences, all in or near the Big Apple, described with humor, insight, and enthusiasm. The authors' intimate knowledge and deep love for their city beam from every page. The directions and details are precise and easy to follow. A useful feature is the annotated contents section that makes it quick and easy to browse and choose a destination. HIGHLY recommended for the visitor or for the native who has spent too much time indoors.

This book is for anyone who has any intention of hiking anywhere in NY. From Long Island to Harriman to the Catskills to the Adirondacks, this book gives detailed descriptions on walks throughout all sorts of terrain. Each chapter has a brief history of the area so you really feel as though you are experiencing surroundings to the fullest. Plus, it is published by the New York/New Jersey Trail Conference which is apparently the premier source for information and maintainers of trails in the area. They also take suggestions so if you find some important detail missing from one of the trail reviews, you can write to the conference and give them your input. To make a long story short, I wouldn't go hiking anywhere in NY without this book.

.. this book is for you.

This book is not only informative but its presentation is a delight. John Coburn has a deft artistic hand in his wonderful ink sketches. The book gives "insider" information about these hotels; such as how the rooms are decorated, services near the hotels, prices and a little history. I wish Allen Sperry would collaborate with John Coburn again and do the same type book for many popular cities around the world. London would be my next choice! This is a clear winner.

It's a beatiful book, I rated five star but I felt as if I read the first half...Hopefully I'll see the "New York II" shortly on the shelf somewhere..

Niagara Falls, New York is an exceptional place - not only blessed with one of the seven wonders of the natural world, but also with a rich and very colorful history dating back to the 1500s when the French explorers first arrived and much, much further where the Native American tribes are concerned. Daniel M. Dumych has brilliantly captured the late Victorian Era when the Falls were exploited for their money-making potential and raw power. He reverently shows how the first power project (Schoellkopf Station) was built and eventually destroyed by the collapse of the wall of the Niagara Gorge; the bustle and entertainment of Falls Street during the first half of the 20th Century; the awe as the current Niagara Power Project was constructed. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book for anyone who has grown up in Niagara Falls as I have, or for anyone who has ever visited the majesty of the cataract. Or for anyone who just loves history.

This book is a must-have resource for playing Cyberpunk 2020 in the commonly used setting of Night City. The wealth of information available is staggering, it would be hard to gather this much info about a REAL city, let alone come up with such detailed information for a fictional one!

Contains numerous maps of the city, and throughout the book, details various locations (most of the buildings in the city are identified), it even contains floor plans for local hangouts, city mass-transit routes, detailed data on various local services, even the location of Dataterms (Multi-purpose info access terminals) throughout the city!

I no longer GM CP 2020 rp sessions, but I am currently using the book to help create the city for some fan fiction set in the Cyberpunk world. It truly is an invaluable resource.

btw: it even comes with a full-color fold-out map of the city!

"Night Train at Wiscasset Station" is a masterpiece. Lew Dietz's words, interspersed with Kosti Ruohomaa's photographs, paint a picture of a time gone by in a state that can be beautiful, haunting, desolate and welcoming all at the same time. I grew up in Maine, and this books makes me nostalgic for home. A must-read for anyone who's ever been touched by the state of mind that is Maine.

I love my town! we are the best!

I used this jewel of a guide this summer cruising from
Maine to the Chesapeake. The data was extremely helpful
and enabled me to plan ahead and keep to schedules. Knowing
the tides and marinas with key data helped me to enjoy
my travels and be more confident on the water. I only
wish there was another guide that would help me get to
the Caribbean. My next goal is to sail to the BVI's. I need
a guide just like this one. Thank you author! Keep it coming.