As early as the preface authors Burrows and Wallace dispel the legend that the Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians for $24. For just twice that you, lucky reader, can own this behemoth (1383 pages) which teems with nearly as many characters as does the city itself. GOTHAM is history is the old-fashioned narrative style, a rich story colorfully told. If you're going to invest in one book this season for your library, you could do a lot worse and I doubt that you could do much better than to place GOTHAM on your bookshelves.

When I see a 1,000+ page book on any subject, I really have to wonder if it will be worth the time I'd have to invest reading it. I am happy to say that Burrows and Wallace's GOTHAM was worth every second I spent poring through its pages. BOTH TIMES! GOTHAM is very compelling and very witty, and, at the same time, terrifying and troubling when you read about some of the atrocities committed on this tiny island. The treasure-trove of illustrations along the way only add to the enjoyment of the narrative. I can't recommend it highly enough. To me, however, the book is an important reminder that the history of New York City is richer, older, and more complex than the other US cities we tend to think of as historic, like Boston, Philadelphia, or DC. The history of New York City, laden with hope and tragedy, friction and cooperation, tolerance and intolerance, greed and charity, has never been given the majestic yet human voice it deserves, until now. GOTHAM lets you celebrate the history of New York as you learn about it. To me, that's worth every second of reading.

This is an excellent, well-written distillation of New York City's history from its founding to 1898. The book is somewhat encyclopedic--I agree with other comments that, while I read it cover to cover, if one had specific interests or was totally uninterested in certain subjects or periods, one could focus on certain chapters and skip others.

While the authors maintained a focus on New York City throughout, the city's nexus with the rest of the country and the rest of the world was not ignored. In summary, albeit lacking a "theme", Gotham is one of the best books of history I have ever read. I am looking forward to volume two on the history of the city in the 20th Century. Highly recommended.