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Can anyone recommend me some good books about cities? I'm talking more about specific cities, rather than cities in general.
One of the best books I've ever read was 'A Prayer For The City' by Buzz Bissinger. It's about the city of Philadelphia and the attempts by Mayor Ed Rendell to fix up his city.
I've been looking for something similar about pretty much any city in the country?
Thoughts?
Are you interested in non fiction books that were written around an incident that happened there? Or, where the city has been changed by laws in that city? True crime in a city? Or, where a city has been improved, which sounds similar to what you mentioned?
Are you interested in non fiction books that were written around an incident that happened there? Or, where the city has been changed by laws in that city? True crime in a city? Or, where a city has been improved, which sounds similar to what you mentioned?
I think any of these would be great: books written around an incident, where laws have changed a city, and especially where a city has been improved by laws, politicians, or by the public.
I know it's somewhat of a large range, but I am interested!
"London the biography" by Peter Ackroyd . I thought it was an amazing literary tour de force and a great read too.
"City of Big shoulders, a history of Chicago" by Robert Spinney, a fascinating account of the Windy city.
And for an ancient classic "a History of Rome" by Livy.
I'm currently reading a non-fiction called "South Bronx Rising" by Jill Jonnes. It spans from the beginnings of the Bronx in the early 1800s as small farming communities, to the rapid development after the "El" came through, through increasing black and hispanic immigration and white flight, "urban renewal", and the slow phoenix.
The "urban renewal" talks about the destruction of entire neighborhoods by public housing, vandalism, arson, and local authoritative apathy. Sickening, saddening stuff.
Highly recommend!
Last edited by EclecticEars; 08-12-2008 at 09:02 PM..
Forever by Pete Hamill is an amazing book about NYC. It has spans hundreds of years and it's a great story. (fiction)
I absolutely loved Forever and several of his other books and essays. As a matter of fact, I just picked up his latest book, North River yesterday to read on vacation. The setting is 1934 in NYC during the Great Depression. IMHO, he is the ultimate authority on NYC.
I loved Devil in the White City (about Chicago World's Fair & lots of other interesting things about Chicago, including a murderer).
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