From Publishers Weekly
With a disproportionate share of literati residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., the place has been the subject of plenty of books, from guidebooks to nostalgia-fests to coffee-table histories, but this handsome "illustrated collection of true and original stories about life in Brooklyn past and present" is unique. Contributors range from noted Brooklynites (Mel Brooks, Arthur Miller, Spike Lee, Susan Brownmiller) to savvy local journalists. "The Brooklyn state of mind is combative, wry, resilient," declares essayist Phillip Lopate, and the individuals who pass through from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to handball king Joe Durso illustrate the point. Predictable subjects like the Brooklyn Bridge and Junior's cheesecake are handled well, while less-storied subjects are also charming: the proprietor of Bargemusic (a local musical series held on, yes, a barge) and restaurants where one just might meet a made man from La Cosa Nostra. Short pieces covering the incorporation of Brooklyn into New York City in 1898, the preservation of architecturally notable Brooklyn Heights, the famous folk buried at Greenwood Cemetery and films made in Brooklyn offer a good grasp of the borough's history and institutions. Some subjects are slighted why a timeline for the 20th century, but not the 19th, when Brooklyn was a separate city? And despite its protestations to the contrary, the book is permeated with nostalgia. Still, this rich compendium is a welcome contribution to anyone devoted to or curious about "the better borough." Photos, illus. (Aug. 8)Forecast: Were it still independent, Brooklyn would be the fourth largest city in the United States. With a high number of readers per capita, it should prove fertile soil for this paean.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
"I sing of Brooklyn, the fruited plain, cradle of genius, and stand up comedy, awash in history, relics of Indian mounds, Dutch farms, Revolutionary War battles, breweries and baseball." Thus begins an ode to a community that today would constitute the fourth-largest city in the nation had it not merged with New York City in 1898. Through 125 essays (written by such celebrities as Spike Lee and Arthur Miller) and interviews, a broad array of Brooklyn history is explored: from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper, from Coney Island to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, from the West Indian Day parade to Green-Wood Cemetery, from beer to boxing. The raucous nostalgia for the city of old is reinforced with hundreds of black-and-white photographs. Those seeking a more critical history must look elsewhere, but for those who want their local history to go down as easy as buttered popcorn, this celebratory work will be a real joy. Recommended for public library travel and New York history collections. Christopher Brennan, SUNY Brockport Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Tough, wry and resilient, diverse, energetic and appealing, Brooklyn is as much a state of mind as it is a place, as rich in legend and character as it is in history. And today Brooklyn is more alive than ever. To tell its story, Brooklyn taps into one of the borough's best resources -- its natural-born storytellers -- to create this noisy, fascinating collection of voices all singing of the land called Brooklyn.

Kicking off with adman and restaurateur Jerry Della Femina expounding on what it means to be from Brooklyn -- having a gift for sizing people up, among other things -- here are 125 original stories on everything from the Bridge to BAM to Weeksville to Nathan's to da Bums.

David McCullough recounts a surprise encounter with Harry Truman on Clark Street. Seymour Chwast interprets a summer day in Coney Island. Here's Billy Altman on Alan Freed hosting his live "Big Beat" rock-and-roll shows at the Paramount. Grace Lichtenstein on the street games Potsy, A My Name ..., Hit the Penny and Three Feet to Germany. Joe Glickman on the irreverent Joe Durso, the greatest handball player in the history of the sport. There's a wiseguy's guide to dining out, a "who's who" of Green-Wood Cemetery, a visit to Gleason's gym, a photo-essay of the outrageous Mermaid Parade. Plus Junior's cheesecake, the men who put Gotti away, the Pigeon Exchange, a glossary of Brooklynese and a night with Norman Mailer in a Heights homeless shelter.

With a time line and over 400 black-and-white photographs and illustrations, Brooklyn is as obsessive, quirky and interesting as the world it captures.

FROM THE CRITICS

New York Daily News

...this rich compendium is a welcome contribution to anyone devoted to - or curious about - the better borough.

New York Daily News

...this rich compendium is a welcome contribution to anyone devoted to - or curious about - the better borough.

Publishers Weekly

With a disproportionate share of literati residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., the place has been the subject of plenty of books, from guidebooks to nostalgia-fests to coffee-table histories, but this handsome "illustrated collection of true and original stories about life in Brooklyn past and present" is unique. Contributors range from noted Brooklynites (Mel Brooks, Arthur Miller, Spike Lee, Susan Brownmiller) to savvy local journalists. "The Brooklyn state of mind is combative, wry, resilient," declares essayist Phillip Lopate, and the individuals who pass through from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to handball king Joe Durso illustrate the point. Predictable subjects like the Brooklyn Bridge and Junior's cheesecake are handled well, while less-storied subjects are also charming: the proprietor of Bargemusic (a local musical series held on, yes, a barge) and restaurants where one just might meet a made man from La Cosa Nostra. Short pieces covering the incorporation of Brooklyn into New York City in 1898, the preservation of architecturally notable Brooklyn Heights, the famous folk buried at Greenwood Cemetery and films made in Brooklyn offer a good grasp of the borough's history and institutions. Some subjects are slighted why a timeline for the 20th century, but not the 19th, when Brooklyn was a separate city? And despite its protestations to the contrary, the book is permeated with nostalgia. Still, this rich compendium is a welcome contribution to anyone devoted to or curious about "the better borough." Photos, illus. (Aug. 8) Forecast: Were it still independent, Brooklyn would be the fourth largest city in the United States. With a high number of readers per capita, it should prove fertilesoil for this paean. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal