New York: An Illustrated History of the People

Like the city it celebrates, this book is huge, filled with a myriad of images, and it boasts a diversity that is nearly overwhelming. Each of its hundreds of two-page spreads focuses on a particular theme, using illustrations and captions to tell the story of New York and New Yorkers. Beginning with Verrazano's first European contact with the area in 1524, the book takes the reader on a long and scenic journey up to the present day. The book provides a wonderful opportunity to see what New York and New Yorkers looked like, and the text, while seeming at first glance to be merely captions for the thousands of illustration, does provide some serious (and very entertaining) history. --Robert McNamara