Empire City: New York Through the Centuries
ISBN 9780231109093
As perhaps never before in its extraordinary history, New York has captured the American imagination. This major anthology brings together not only the best literary writing about New York―from O. Henry, Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, Paul Auster, and James Baldwin, among many others―but also the most revealing essays by politicians, philosophers, city planners, social critics, visitors, immigrants, journalists, and historians.
The anthology begins with an account of Henry Hudson's voyage in 1609 and ends with an essay written especially for this book by John P. Avlon, former Mayor Rudolph Guiliani's speechwriter, called "The Resilient City," on the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center as observed from City Hall. The editors have chosen some familiar favorites, such as Washington Irving's A History of New York and Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," as well as lesser-known literary and historical gems, such as Frederick Law Olmsted's plan for Central Park and Cynthia Ozick's "The Synthetic Sublime"―an updated answer to E. B. White's classic essay Here Is New York, which is also included. The variety and originality of the selections in Empire City offer a captivating account of New York's growth, and reveal often forgotten aspects of its political, literary, and social history.
Return & Refund
Books: Return within 7 days for store credit, excluding shipping costs.
Non-Book Items:
- In-Person Purchases: Store credit or exchange within 14 days.
- Online Purchases: Full refund within 14 days (shipping excluded).
Exceptions: Textbooks, course packs, and lab manuals are final sale unless a class is dropped within the first 4 weeks from the start of the term with proof of dropping the class.
All Returns: Items must be in original condition with tags/packaging. A receipt is required for in-person refunds.
Read our full Return and Refund Policy.
Shipping & Pickup
- Most in-stock items are processed and shipped through USPS within 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email. You will receive another notification when your order has shipped.
- Shipping charges and estimated delivery times will be calculated and displayed at checkout based on the weight of your order and the destination.
- Pickup from 939 Lexington Avenue is available for most in-stock items.
- Read our full Shipping Policy.