Category: New York City

August 16, 2020

Hubert Harrison: “The Father of Harlem Radicalism”

By Jeffrey B. Perry

“This is a superb study of a neglected but powerfully influential figure in African American history. Jeffrey B. Perry’s scholarship is formidable; his documentation, impeccable; his writing, lucid and graceful. If his promised second volume is as admirable and compelling...

May 20, 2020

Book Excerpt! Sewing Women, by Margaret M. Chin (introduction)

“A new and illuminating perspective on New York’s garment industry and the dynamics of work among today’s immigrants through a carefully argued and insightful comparison of Chinese- and Korean-owned garment shops and their Chinese and Hispanic workers. This richly-textured account,...

May 19, 2020

Q&A: Margaret M. Chin on the New York City Garment Industry

“Sewing Women provides a new and illuminating perspective on New York’s garment industry and the dynamics of work among today’s immigrants through a carefully argued and insightful comparison of Chinese- and Korean-owned garment shops and their Chinese and Hispanic workers.”...

April 4, 2020

Q&A: Martin V. Melosi on Fresh Kills

“Fresh Kills is excellent in many ways–clarity of prose, strength of narration, depth of research, and command of the literature. Melosi is one of the finest urban historians working today, and he is, although this will sound like an unintended...

December 19, 2019

Ten Books for People Who Love New York City

New York City is one of the world’s major cultural centers. It’s dense population and iconic sites, such as the Statue of Liberty and Central Park, are the perfect backdrop to its colorful history and people. This list of books—as...

June 19, 2019

Immigration, Racism, and the Growth of Economic Inequality in New York City

“Updated throughout and extended to the present through the latest scholarship, this enduring classic demonstrates once again how central the growth of immigrant-origin communities has been to the neighborhoods, collective life, politics, and economy of New York City. All the NationsUnder...

May 2, 2019

Book Excerpt! On Bicycles: A 200 Year History of Cycling in New York City

“In On Bicycles, Evan Friss fills in the missing chapters that bicycles hold in New York City’s near-miraculous transportation history and shows how the city’s streets are finally catching up with them.” ~ Janette Sadik-Khan, Bloomberg Associates, former NYC transportation commissioner...

May 1, 2019

Director’s Foreword City of Workers, City of Struggle: How Labor Movements Changed New York

“City of Workers, City of Struggle reveals how early colonists, later immigrants, and rural migrants became central to New York City’s manufacturing, trading, and financial industries. Evocatively illustrated, each chapter offers tales of mobilization and resistance experienced by diverse and ever-changing...

March 30, 2019

Media Roundup: Books About New York City History Authored by Women, or Includes Essays by Women

It’s the second to last day of Women’s History Month. From a colorful look at Anthony Comstock’s attempt to rid New York City of vice, to a collection of essays that shed light on the politics and ideals of the...

November 14, 2018

#TurnItUp Neighborhoods: New York, Brooklyn, and Harlem’s People, Places, and History

Think university presses only publish monographs and textbooks? Think again. University presses can play a critical role in publishing books about the cities and regions in which we reside. In light of #TurnItUp Neighborhood, today’s post features excerpts from some...

May 3, 2018

Documenting Censorship’s Pyrrhic Victories

This week, our featured title is Lust on Trial: Censorship and the Rise of American Obscenity in the Age of Anthony Comstock. Today, we are happy to present a guest post from author Amy Werbel. Enter our book giveaway by Friday at 1 PM for...

May 2, 2018

Q&A With Amy Werbel On Lust on Trial: Censorship and the Rise of American Obscenity in the Age of Anthony Comstock

This week, our featured title is Lust on Trial: Censorship and the Rise of American Obscenity in the Age of Anthony Comstock. Today, we are happy to present an exclusive interview with author Amy Werbel. Enter our book giveaway by Friday at 1 PM for...