Edward Robb Ellis' "A Diary of the Century," a 578 page book collecting selections from diaries spanning 68 years, opens with a typically stylish introduction by Pete Hamill and closes with an index, the latter being the first place I looked after acquiring this mammoth volume. Searching for familiar names, I found Elvis Presley to whom Ellis refers on page 539 in an entry dated January 8, 1993, what would have been the King of Rock and Roll's 58th birthday: "Elvis Presley stamps went on sale today, much to my disgust. Years ago, when he was being discharged from the army, I was one of many reporters interviewing him. I remember asking him how he could justify his enormous wealth when school teachers were being underpaid. He gave me a non-answer with a smile and extreme politeness."

That little passage suggests that, though he may be an excellent diarist, Ellis must have been a lousy reporter, one completely lacking in the objectivity supposedly required by the

profession. If Elvis had had access to Ellis' diary, he might have answered Ellis' question with a question of his own: "How can YOU justify asking ME that question when you did not ask it of Grace Kelly, who not only acquired enormous wealth in her acting career, but married into more millions by bagging Prince Rainier of Monaco?"

Ellis interviewed Kelly in 1956, an experience detailed in his entry of January 11 that year. His questions to her are never more challenging than this one: "Will you see the prince today?" (p. 232) Ellis didn't ask Clark Gable's widow how her late husband justified the millions he made when school teachers were underpaid, nor did the reporter grill composer Irving Berlin on the matter either. Apparently it was alright for Kelly, Gable, and Berlin to make millions because Ellis appreciated their "talents," but Presley and rock and roll didn't pass muster with "America's Greatest Diarist," as Ellis is called on the jacket of his book, and, therefore, it was wrong for Presley to strike it rich. The question, if it was worthy of being asked at all, should have been directed at a society that values performers more than it does the teachers in whose hands our children's education is placed.

That being said, Ellis' book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in fine writing and a purely subjective (and, as noted, sometimes hypocritical) account of life as it was lived and observed by Ellis in the 20th century.

I rec'd this book in 1997 and have relished it ever since. It's a wonderful read and gives great insight into the last 80 or so years. Ellis died in 1998, but his books leave a lasting legacy.

First rate. A good luck at the past century by a keen observer

As Edward Robb Ellis was writing his diary I was being born. I've often wondered what my pre-though, pre-war life was like now I know. Through the eyes of one man who's life mirrored, yet preceded, my own 30 years later. I wonder, in 1998, is ERE still alive. I hope so!!

This book was well-written and easily read -- not a dry, pedantic non-fiction tome as so many history books can be. Until about 2/3 of the way through, Ellis did an excellent job of keeping his personal politics out of the mix and just telling the events in a compelling and interesting manner. One most gets an inkling of his inner leanings when it comes to the "battle" between the proletariat and the bourgeosie. It's easy enough to find accounts of what went on on the battlefields of the War, but I was thrilled when I finally found one that described what life was like at home! Thumbs up!

Ellis kept a running diary for most of his adult life. He culls much interesting information from this source as well as several better known authors in painting a vivid picture of what happened in America starting in 1929 and why. This is not to say that the book does not have some flaws. For one thing Ellis has a tendency of placing trivial comments such as "Rexford Tugwell was quite the handsomest New Dealer of them all" which frankly could have been better left unsaid. However, some of his historical information, particularly his chapter on the National Recovery Act, entitled the Blue Eagle, are well researched and very easy to read. I also like the opening chapter on the death of the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (now the site of the Empire State Building). This is an excellent juxtaposition considering that this event took place in the infamous year of 1929 and happened on May Day to boot.

As several other reviewers have noted, this book was published in 1966 and so it doesn't contain any recent history. Nonetheless, it's an excellent introduction to NY from it's founding in the early 1600s to the 1960s.

I disagree with the reviewer who said that there are no colorful characters in this narrative and that the narrative is boring -- I found the book full of interesting characters (politicians like Boss Tweed, reporters such as William Randolph Hearst, and influential people like John Jacob Astor). Moreover, I found the narrative engaging enough to make it difficult to put down at times.

My only complaint is that the editing job is shabby. Not so much with typos or grammatical errors, but the sentence structure and the narrative flow is a bit awkward at times. Every now and again, Ellis will switch gears without any warning or explanation. It gets a bit frustrating.

Also, there are NO maps in this book. I used 4 different contemporary maps -- 2 for Manhattan/Queens, 1 for Brooklyn, 1 US map (for references to Boston, DC, and the south). At a minimum, you'll need a Manhattan street map and a NY state map to accompany your reading.

A great book by noted American Diarist, E. R. Ellis, shows the humble birth of New York to the the great city it came to be. Not one to hide the seedy part of New York's past, he also includes the historical figures which made it great. If you don't know the origins of Knickerbocker, Bronx or Brooklyn, you will find them in these pages. Written in good narrative, it sounds more like a story then a history.

There are many newer. more contemporary histories of NYC--but, especially if you are interested in the early twentieth century period, this is still the best overview. Especially good for those who are intrigued by NYC but have a scant knowledge of its history.