It Happened in Manhattan: An Oral History of Life in the City During the Mid-Twentieth Century

It's just a narrow island, only 22 square miles. But it's so much bigger than that. Now, in this album of period photos and first-person reminiscences, readers can experience the mosaic of midcentury Manhattan from Altman's to Zabar's. Ranging from the post-World War II years when the city came into its own to the mid-1970s when the city nearly went bust, this book features interviews with such New York luminaries as Jimmy Breslin, Bill Gallo, Monte Irvin, Robert Merrill, Herman Badillo, Elaine Kaufman, Jerry Della Femmina, and Pauline Trigere, plus the everyday people who form the hustle and bustle of the city's daily life. For anyone who grew up in or near "the city"-or fell in love with New York as an adult-this unique history, filled with vintage photos, is a compelling read...and a powerful testament to the indescribable mystique of magical, memorable Manhattan.