I read this book while living in Japan, and thought it was very good. I recently reread it and it was as good as I remembered it.

As in "the Invisible City," Hamill writes about the small glories and tragedies of ordinary people, and does it in succinct and understated fashion.

His characters, while sometimes a little odd, are always believable. This is a feat considering that he is writing about a foreign country. Part of this is because the protagonists are often expatriates. He is very good at characterising the sort of people who are drawn the japan and japanese culture. His japanese characters are also believable, particularly the title character in "A Blues for Yukiko."

I read this book a long time ago, and my memory's not so great, but this is just a concurring opinion to the above. Also, I've lent/given this book to other people and they tell me they've enjoyed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The references to both American and Japanese culture were quite refreshing, and amusing to those who know background information on Asian culture. I, having grown up Asian-American, giggled at many of the references, understanding what was meant. The stories are short enough to make you want to read them and not be worried about not being able to finish, yet long enough to delve deep into the lives of the characters. Great details and description draw readers in. The endings make you wish for more and wonder if there was some mistake -- if a page was left out at the end. Some personal favorites of mine were The 48th Ronin, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, and The Magic Word. Every story is truly a masterpiece. I couldn't put the book down even if I had to!

If you've never been to Brooklyn you'll have a wonderful time exploring the short stories of some of the most legendary writers in American literature. It's a collection of writers who capture a sense of place, spirit, and culture and do it beautifully. Of course, in any anthology, some stories and writers appeal to each reader moreso than others.

As a Brooklyn resident, I found this to be a wonderful collection of 30 perspectives of 30 different aspects of life in Brooklyn. Some aspects are long gone and it's wonderful to catch a glimpse, but surprisingly much of the Brooklynese still rings true. The stories capture the settings, the many cultures which landed and had to mix, and still try to work out the cultural boundaries, the languages and even, of course, the legendary Brooklyn accent er...(da Brukln axe sent)!

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!!

I read DOC long before I saw the film (although the paperback was/is illustrated with stills from the movie starring Stacy Keach and Harris Yulin), and I really liked it. It was clear to me, even then, as a teen, that Pete Hamill (a gifted writer with an excellent ear for dialogue) had, in his attempt to debunk the heroic legend of Doc Holliday, had created another, perhaps equally implausible (though certainly grittier and more profane) legend... and I didn't care. I loved the book/script, and I still do. The failure of the flawed film which emerged from the script has colored people's perceptions of the writing, which is no western adventure but rather an in-depth (and quite moving) character study. Even the film (with an excellent performance by a young Stacy Keach in the title role) has been underrated, but it still is an erratic movie. The script-- this book-- is, however, much better than the final cinematic product, and is worth attention.

New York Exposed is photographic journey down memory lane.
I won this book about a month ago and was so taken by the photography and the history of the photos that I have since purchased it as a gift for my Dad. The book consists of photos of NYC from 1919 until the year 2000. Each photograph includes a descriptive caption.
The skyline changed so many times throughout the time span that the book takes us through, although there are no photos of that dreaded day in September.
From air disasters to a traffic accident circa the early 1930's, from J. Edgar Hoover in a Mickey Mouse mask at the Stork Club in the 30's to the Yankee's World Series win in 1999. New York Exposed is a wonderful book for those of us who grew up in the greatest city in the world.
A reminder of the way we were..

As the grandson of NY Daily News photographer Charles Hoff, this book offered much insight in to family (as well as New York) history. Only a hint at the tremendous photographic contribution of the NYDN can be addressed in one book, even in a volume this large. Still, it reveals fascinating insight in to the last eighty years of New York visual history through stunningly beautiful photographs. The quality is only enhanced by the fact that the book was published just prior to the tragic events of September, 2001 -- the book closes with a wonderfful photograph of the World Trade Center, as well as text by Shawn O'Sullivan that in retrospect is perfectly appropriate -- that the picture press remains vigilant in a constantly changing city.

The New York Daily News was always the largest circulation tabloid in America and as Pete Hamill says in his excellent twenty page essay 'The Daily News was possessed of a quality derived from the city itself: energy. The tone was brash, sarcastic, irreverent.' All successful tabloid papers have two things in common, the headlines and the photos and this beautifuuly produced book has hundreds of the latter.

To get great photos the paper had always invested in its photo department, which by the fifties had two planes, ten radio cars, a brigade of motorcycle couriers and a staff of sixty-three to insure no story was missed. This book shows the benefits of this investment. Eight chapters are devoted to a photo record of the decades from the twenties thru the nineties and as the News was a tabloid, the rough and tumble of daily is revealed, politicians, celebrities, sport, crime (some of these predictably stark) the everyday and when appropriate, the weather. Each photo has very detailed captions and thankfully, the photographer's name.

Shawn O'Sullivan, who works on the paper, writes in a short essay titled 'Photography at the Daily News' 'In making this book, we sought to show the images in all of their original beauty, as the photographer originally witnessed the scene....' I think this was a mistake, newspaper photographers don't know how a photo is going to be used on the page and they try to take plenty of shots, so that Photo Editors will have lots of choice. I have a book published in 1979 celebrating fifty years of the News and it has many of the same photos as this latest book but in the earlier book the photos are handled in a much tighter way and sensibly trimmed to get the best from the image.

Apart from some of the photo trimming I enjoyed New York Exposed, a photographic book that captures the dailiness of New York life. If you lived in the city it will be a stimulating reminder of the last eighty years.

Pete Hamill may be the guru of Manhattan history, but I think he tries to cram too much historical and cultural background into too little story. The first part of the novel, concerning Cormac's life in Ireland, is interesting and cohesive. But when Cormac comes to New York, the story devolves into a hodgepodge of events. The narrative leaps forward over large gaps in time, then backtracks in flashbacks. Overall, it forms a patchwork quilt with many pieces missing. The second half of the book drags as Hamill does a lot of name-dropping without adding much to the plot or character development of Cormac. The last quarter of the story is too predictable.

Yes, we have to suspend belief when reading a story about a man who lives forever. However, odd bits of fantasy and magic pop up in the most incongruous of places at times. After a while I began to wonder what immortal friend or pet from Cormac's past would suddenly show up next at an opportune moment.

After reading the book, I did not feel I had a good grasp of Manhattan's history, culture, or people. After following Cormac through 250+ years of Manhattan life I would have expected otherwise.

The premise of the novel, that Cormac O'Connor lives for centuries in New York City requires taking a giant step into fantasy, however once the reader is drawn into the life of this "immortal everyman," the story becomes compelling and absorbing. The author, a respected journalist and novelist, has crafted a masterful tale of an Irish Jew who is magically given immortality, provided that he never leaves the isle of Manhattan. From the mid-1700's until the present day September 11th events, Mr. Hamill weaves a richly textured story of history and individual experience.

There are times when some elements of the story suffer from excessive "political correctness," however, the characterizations are rich, the plot is simple with just enough twists to make it interesting, and the themes are universal (justice, compassion, etc.). This is a fine novel, both thought provoking and entertaining at all levels.

Pete Hamill has done it again! He has written a book in the spirit of magical realism that transports the reader first into 18th century Ireland and finally to colonial New York, to follow the vengeful quest of protagonist Cormac O'Connor.

This glorious story demands suspension of disbelief and seduces one into acceptance of the path Cormac must follow. Hamill's obvious love for all of mankind, no matter what race, color, or creed, meshes with his love for the granite isle of Manhattan and its incredible history.

Even the pages of the hardcover volume of this book are luxurious to the touch, just as the words of this consummate story teller/journalist are to the eyes and soul of the reader.

Having loved learning about New York through the detective fiction of Mann-Meyers (Marty and Annette) and Caleb Carr, I can recommend this Hamill tome as my favorite read of 2003 thus far.

The descriptions are loaded, not unlike the journalistic style of a Dickens, but the suspense and romance of the story make Cormac O'Connor a Highlander type immortal who lives from 1730's to 9/11/01 and follows the fated course of a man who must never leave Manhattan.

I highly recommend this book. It gave me the personal satisfaction that one gains from "talking" with a good friend, and in this case, it is with Pete Hamill, the masterful journalist and novelist, who first convinced me he could tell a wonderful yarn when I read his earlier novel "Snow in August."

Cormac O'Connor's life journey, which at times seems to be a cursed existence, and its ultimate message of hope is forever with me now.