The City Review highly recommends the following books on the history, architecture, neighborhoods, landmarks and shapers of New York City as well as a few on urban design and planning and New York City artists.

"The A. I. A. Guide to New York City, Third Edition," by Elliot Willensky and Norval White, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988, pp. 999. If you only get one book, this is it. Very short and witty comments on more buildings than any other source with accurate information on architects and date of completion as well as great index where you can easily see what other buildings individual architects did. Some maps and small photographs. Remarkably well-bound, but thick paperback. (See The City Review article on the Fourth Edition of this great guide).

"New York 1900, Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism, 1890-1915," by Robert A. M. Stern, Gregory Gilmartin & John Massengale, Rizzoli International, 1983, pp. 502. The first volume of this monumental, essential and very important study of the 20th Century's greatest city, with many excellent, large photographs.  Click here to order this book at amazon.com.

"New York 1930, Architecture and Urbanism Between The Two World Wars," by Robert A. M. Stern, Gregory Gilmartin and Thomas Mellins, (Rizzoli International, 1987), pp. 847. The second volume in this monumental, essential and very important study of the 20th Century's greatest city, with many excellent, large photographs.  Click here to order this book at amazon.com.

"New York 1960, Architecture And Urbanism Between The Second World War And The Bicentennial," by Robert A. M. Stern, Thomas Mellins and David Fishman, (The Monacelli Press, 1995), pp. 1,374. The third volume in this monumental, essential and very important study of the 20th Century's greatest city, with many excellent, large photographs. This volume organized differently than first two volumes, but still indispensable.  Click here to order the book

"New York Streetscapes, Tales of Manhattan's Buildings and Landmarks," By Christopher Gray, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2003, pp. 448, $35. (See The City Review article on this marvelous book). Click here to order this book from amazon.com

"New York 1880: Architecture and Urbanism in the Gilden Age," by Robert A. M.Stern, Thomas Mellins and David Fishman, The Monacelli Press, 1,008 pages, 1999, $65. The fourth huge volume in this brilliant series. Click here to order this book from amazon.com.

"The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909: Compiled from Original Sources and Illustrated by Photo-Intaglio Reproductions of Important Maps (6 volume set)," by I. N. Phelps Stokes, reprint edition, 1998.  Essential work on Manhattan's history, long out of print.  Click here to order it for $750 from amazon.com.

"How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York (Penguin Classics)," by Jacob A. Riis with a new introduction by Luc Sante, pp. 224, reprint, 1997.  Classic study by great photographer and sociologist and civic reformer.  Click here to order the book for $9.95 from amazon.com.

"From Abyssinian to Zion, a Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship," by David W. Dunlap, Columbia University Press, 2004, $24.95. A remarkable research achievement that documents 654 current religious structures and 425 ones of the past. (See The City Review article.) Click here to order this book from amazon.com

"Essential New York, A Guide to the History and Architecture of Manhattan's Important Buildings, Parks and Bridges," by John Tauranac, Holt Rinehart Winston, 1979, pp. 273. A pocketsize chronological guide to many of New York's most famous structures that is often witty and always incisive with many photographs.

"On Broadway, A Journey Uptown Over Time," by David W. Dunlap, Rizzoli, 1990, pp. 327. This large, fine book is written by a reporter for The New York Times who also took most of the many, excellent photographs.

"Mansions in the Clouds, The Skyscraper Palazzi of Emery Roth," by Steven Ruttenbaum, Balsam Press, Inc., 1986, pp. 223. A very important and thorough biography of this famous architect with many excellent photographs.  Click here to order the book at 6 percent off the $48 list price at amazon.com.

"Park Avenue, Street of Dreams," By James Trager, Atheneum, 1990, pp. 294. Excellent source of information on most Park Avenue buildings.

"Upper West Side Story, A History and Guide," by Peter Salwen, Abbeville Press, 1989, pp. 383. Excellent history with some photographs, walking tours and lists of celebrities who lived in specific buildings.

"Privately Owned Public Spaces The New York Experience," by Jerold S. Kayden, John Wiley & Sons, 2000, 348 pages, more than 300 black and white photographs, $49.95. This important study was co-sponsored by the Municipal Art Society and the New York City Department of Planning and documents more than 500 plazas, arcades, covered pedestrian spaces, atriums, gallerias and the like that have been used by developers to build bigger buildings. Excellent data, but criticism is fairly general. Click here to order the book from Amazon.com.

"The Architecture of Additions: Design and Regulation," by Paul Spencer Byard, W. W. Norton & Company, 1999, pp. 191, $40. This wonderful book (see long article in The City Review) examines many of the city's most important architecture controversies with many illustrations as well as discussing many important projects elsewhere. It is thoughtful, provocative and very intelligent on the extremely difficult subject of how best to incorporate modern elements into historic properties. Click here or on photo of book cover below to order the book

"Changing New York, The Architectural Scene," by Christopher Gray, Dover Publications, Inc., 1992, pp. 118. This large, well-illustrated book contains 110 of the author's superb "Streetscape" columns from The New York Times. Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"The Power Broker, Robert Moses And The Fall of New York," by Robert A. Caro, Alfred A. Knopf, 1974, about 1,270 pages. A devastating, vitriolic, fascinating and very unsympathetic biography of the legendary master builder and planner.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order it at amazon.com

"Shaping The City, New York and the Municipal Art Society," by Gregory F. Gilmartin, Clarkson Potter, 1995, pp. 532. Fabulous, incisive, important book with exciting narratives on how major projects were created and defeated (see long article in The City Review).  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the $35 book from amazon.com.

"Guide to New York City Landmarks, Second Edition," by Andrew S. Dolkart, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, 1998, pp. 340. Fine, authoritative, pocket-sized book with a few photographs and maps of the many historic districts.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book for 20 percent off the list price from amazon.com.

"Historic Manhattan Apartment Houses," by Andrew Alpern, Dover Publications, Inc., 1996, pp. 84.  Click here to order the book at 20 percent off its $9.95 list price from amazon.com.

"New York's Fabulous Luxury Apartments With Original Floor Plans from the Dakota, River House, Olympic Tower and Other Great Buildings," by Andrew Alpern, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 176. Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book at 20 percent off its $10.95 list price from amazon.com.

"Luxury Apartment Houses of Manhattan: An Illustrated History," by Andrew Alpern, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 192.

"Lost New York," by Nathan Silver, Wings Books, 1967, pp. 242. An important book that documented how heedless New Yorkers were of their great architectural heritage before the creation of the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965.

"Will They Ever Finish Bruckner Boulevard? A Primer on Urbicide," by Ada Louise Huxtable, Collier Books, 1972, pp. 268. A collection of the great architecture critic's columns from The New York Times.  Click here to order the $15.95 book from amazon.com.

"Public Works, A Dangerous Trade," by Robert Moses, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1970, pp. 952. The legendary master planner and masterbuilder's version of how he shaped the city.

"The Landmarks of New York III," by Barbaralee Diamonstein, 1998, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., about 500 pages. Third edition of book with information from the files of the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission with photographs.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"Along The Way: MTA Arts for Transit" by Sandra Bloodworth and William Ayres, The Monacelli Press, 2006, $50. Magnificent finds for future archaeologists! Fine and richly illustrated catalogue of public art in New York City's transit system. Full of delightful surprises.

"George B. Post, Architect, Picturesque Designer and Determined Realist," by Sarah Bradford Landau, The Monacelli Press, 1998, pp. 192, 106 illustrations, $40. Excellent and well illustrated biography of important New York City architect.

"Fifth Avenue, A Very Social History," by Kate Simon, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978, pp. 372. A broad sweep of the famous street's social and cultural history that is well written with a few photographs.

"Skyscraper Style, Art Deco New York," by Cervin Robinson and Rosemarie Haag Bletter, Oxford University Press, 1975. More than 140 fabulous photographs by Cervin Robinson and excellent essays.

"The Empire State Building, The Making Of A Landmark" by John Tauranac, St. Martin's Griffin, 1997, pp. 383. A wonderful book not only about the famous skyscraper, but also about real estate development in New York (see long article in The City Review).  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book for 20 percent off its $14.95 list price from amazon.com.

"Lower Manhattan Architectural Survey Report," by Andrew S. Dolkart, prepared by the Lower Manhattan Cultural council, 1987. Important descriptions of 110 buildings.

"Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898," by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace, Oxford University Press, pp. 1,416, $49.95. A huge history with some black-and-white illustrations. Click here to order the book at 30 percent off its list price from amazon.com.

"Strange Bedfellows, The First American Avant-Garde," by Steven Watson, Abbeville Press, 1991, pp. 440. Superb account of the glory days of Greenwich Village and its many cultural stars, with many superb illustrations. Click here to order the book for $38 from amazon.com.

"New York From The Air," Photographs by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and text by John Tauranac, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1998, pp. 157. $45. Spectacular, oversized book with stupendous pictures and fine, short commentaries by Tauranac, one of the city's best architectural historians. Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"Manhattan Skyscrapers," by Eric Peter Nash with photographs by Norman McGrath, Princeton Architecture Press, pp. 175, 1999, $45.00. A quite good overview with large color photographs by McGrath, a noted architectural photographer, of 75 important New York towers. It also includes some historical illustrations of interest. Click here to read a review of this book in The City Review. Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"New York, New York, How the Apartment House Transformed the Life of the City (1869-1930)," by Elizabeth Hawes, An Owl Book, Henry Holt and Company, 1993, pp. 285. Readable history with a few photographs.

"New New York: Architecture of a City," edited by Ian Luna with introduction by Joseph Giovannini, Rizzoli, 2004, pp. 352, $45. Large format look at a few dozen recent projects of interest with many color photographs. Click here to order the book at 34 percent off its list price from amazon.com.

"New York, Culture Capital Of The World, 1940-1965," edited by Leonard Wallock with essays by Dore Ashton, Alexander Bloom, Lynn Garafola, Richard Gilman, Carol Herselle Krinksy, John Rockwell, William Sharpe and Leonard Wallock, Rizzoli, 1988, pp. 282.

"Zeckendorf, The Autobiography Of The Man Who Played A Real-Life Game Of Monopoly And Won The Largest Real Estate Empire in History," by William Zeckendorf, Holt Rinehart and Winston, pp. 312.

"Architecture Anyone?" by Ada Louise Huxtable, University of California Press, 1986, pp. 345.

"Elegant New York: The Buildings and the Buildings 1885-1915," by John Tauranac with photographs by Chrisopher Little, Abbeville Press, pp. 286, 1985.  Fine coffee table book with superb essays.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book at 30 percent off its $65 list price from amazon.com.

"New York Deco," by Carla Breeze with introduction by Rosemary Haag Bletter, Rizzoli, 1993, pp. 96. Small book with many color photographs.

"Sutton Place, Uncommon Community by the River," by Christopher Gray, Sutton Area Community, Inc., 1997, pp.80. Excellent history of the development of this area at the east end of 57th Street into a luxury residential district with many interesting photographs. $18.95. Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"The WPA Guide To New York City, The Federal Writers Project Guide to 1930's New York," with an introduction by William H. Whyte, The New Press, 1992, pp. 701.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book at 20 percent off its $15.95 list price from amazon.com.

"Manhattan Moves Uptown, An Illustrated History," by Charles Lockwood, Barnes & Noble Inc., 1975, pp. 343.

"The Living City, How America Cities Are Being Revitalized By Thinking Small In A Big Way," by Roberta Brandes Gratz, The Preservation Press, 1994, pp. 413.  Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"The City Observed, New York, A Guide To The Architecture of Manhattan," by Paul Goldberger with photographs by David W. Dunlap, Vintage Books, 1979, pp. 348. Good general guide to Manhattan.

"Touring The Upper East Side, Walks in Five Historic Districts," by Andrew S. Dolkart, The New York Landmarks Conservancy, 1995, pp. 120. Superb, pocket-sized guide with a few photographs.  Click here to order the $9.95 book from amazon.com.

"New York, A Guide to the Metropolis, Walking Tours of Architecture and History, Second Edition," by Gerard R. Wolfe, McGraw-Hill Inc., 1994, pp. 559. Good general guide with a few photographs although it does not cover all major districts of Manhattan.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"Fifth Avenue, The Best Address," Jerry E. Patterson, Rizzoli, 1998, pp. 224. Good, historical overview with several photographs (see The City Review long article).  Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"Stanford White's New York," by David Garrard Lowe, Doubleday, 1992, pp. 339.

"The New York Apartment Houses of Rosario Candela and James Carpenter," by Andrew Alpern with essays by David Netto and Christopher Gray, Acanthus Press, 2001, pp. 350, $65. Many photographs of exteriors and some interiors with many layouts, all in black in white, about all the "luxury" apartment houses designed by these two architects. (see The City Review article). Click here to order the book from Amazon.com

"It Happened in Manhattan, an Oral History of the City in the Mid-Twentieth Century," by Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer, Berkeley Publishing Group, 2001, pp. 312. Wonderful anecdotes from a wide range of New Yorkers about the three decades after World War II. (See The City Review article.) Click here to order the book from Amazon.com

"The Death and Life of Great American Cities," by Jane Jacobs, A Vintage Book, 1961, pp. 459. Important study by planner who was born in Scranton, Pa., lived in Greenwich Village, and moved to Toronto, but shook up the planning and development community. Click here or on the picture of the book's cover below to order the book from amazon.com.

"The Golden City," by Henry Hope Reed, the Norton Library, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1971, pp. 160. A fine discussion of and argument for grand Beaux-Arts and Classical architecture and what's wrong with much of modern architecture, mostly in New York City, with many photographs.  Click here to order the book for $7.30 from amazon.com.

"Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York: A Photographic Guide," by Henry H. Reed and Edmund Vincent Gillon, Dover Publications, Inc., 1988.  Fine study with essays by prominent architectural historian and good photographs.  Click here to order the book for $9.95 from amazon.com.

"Beaux Arts New York," by David Garrard Lowe, Watson-Guptill, pp. 128, 1998.  Well-written overview of the luxuriant style with nice photographs.  See The City Review article.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book  from amazon.com.

"Rise of the New York Skyscraper, 1865-1913," by Sarah Bradford Landau and Carl W. Condit, Yale University Press, 1996, pp. 478. An excellent, albeit slightly academic study with many photographs of many lost architectural masterpieces.  Click here or on the picture below of the book cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"Risk, Ruin & Riches, Inside The World of Big-Time Real Estate," by Jim Powell, Macmillan Publishing company, 1986, pp. 376. Histories of many of the major New York City developers.

"Glory in Gotham, Manhattan's Houses of Worship, A Guide to their History, Architecture and Legacy," by David W. Dunlap and Joseph J. Vecchione, a City & Company Guide, 2001, pp. 170, $14. A good introductory architectural, ecclesiastic and social guide to Manhattan's major religious institutions that hopefully will be followed by an expanded and more comprehensive edition by the authors with larger and more illustrations. (See The City Review's article on this book.)

"Skyscraper Dreams, The Great Real Estate Dynasties of New York," by Tom Shactman, Little Brown and Company, 1991, pp. 354. Histories of many of the major New York City developers.

"The Tall Building Artistically Reconsidered, The Search for a Skyscraper Style," by Ada Louise Huxtable, Pantheon Books, 1984, pp. 128. Click here to order the book for $17.95 from amazon.com.

"Raymond Hood, Architect, Form Through Function in the American Skyscraper," by Walter H. Kilham, Jr., Architectural Book Publishing Co., Inc., 1973, pp. 200.

"Special Districts, The Ultimate In Neighborhood Zoning," by Richard F. Babcock and Wendy U. Larsen, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 1990, pp. 187.  Click here to order the book for $15 from amazon.com.

"The Landscape of Modernity, New York City, 1900-1940," edited by David Ward and Oliver Zunz, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992, pp. 370.  Click here to order the book for $39.95 from amazon.com.

"The Architecture of New York City, Histories and Views of Important Structures, Sites And Symbols," by Donald Martin Reynolds, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1994, pp. 339.  Click here to order the book for 20 percent off its $34.95 list price from amazon.com.

"Gramercy, Its Architectural Surroundings, Preserving The Neighborhood's Important Contributing Buildings," introduction and text by Andrew Scott Dolkart, preface by Brendan Gill, foreword by Stephen Garmey, including photographs by Truman Moore, Gramercy Neighborhood Associates Inc., 1996, pp. 95.

"The Historical Atlas of New York City, A Visual Celebration of Nearly 400 Years of New York City's History," by Eric Homberger, Alice Hudson, cartographic consultant, An Owl Book, Henry Holt and Company, 1994, pp. 192.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"Fifth Avenue, 1911, From Start to Finish in Historic Block-by-Block Photographs," edited by Christopher Gray, Dover Publications, Inc., 1994, pp. 79.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"The Late, Great Pennsylvania Station," by Lorraine B. Diehl with foreword by Ada Louise Huxtable, Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996, pp. 168.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book for 20 percent off its $16.95 list price from amazon.com.

"New York's Architectural Holdouts," by Andrew Alpern and Seymour Durst, Dover Publications, Inc., 1997.  Fine historical study by leading architectural historian and one of the city's major developers and collectors of memorabilia.  Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"New York, Old & New, Its Story, Streets and Landmarks," by Rufus Rockwell Wilson, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1909. A pleasant history with some illustrations.

"Life at the Dakota, New York's Most Unusual Address," by Stephen Birmingham, Syracuse University Press, 1996, pp. 243.  Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"Our Crowd: The Great Jewish Families of New York," by Stephen Birmingham, Syracuse Univesity Press, reprint, 1996.  Classic study of great financial dynasties and art collectors many of whom were very influential in New York City.  Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"Sidewalk Critic: Lewis Mumford's Writings on New York," by Lewis Mumford, Robert Wojtowicz, editor, Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 288.  Good selection of his "Skyline" essays from The New Yorker.  Click here to order from amazon.com. 

"The Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists, 1861-1901 (Harvest Book)," by Matthew Josephson, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1962.  Classic study of the wealthy entrepreneurs many of whom were very influential in New York City.  Click here to order the book at 20 percent off its $15 list price from amazon.com.

"George and Edward Blum: Texture and Design in New York Apartment House Architecture," by Andrew S. Dolkart and Susan Tunick, Princeton Architecture Press, 1993.  Fine, short study of architectural firm very active on the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan who employed terracotta ornamentation. Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"The Image Of The City," by Kevin Lynch, The MIT Press, 1960, pp. 194. Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order at amazon.com.

"The Concise Townscape," by Gordon Cullen, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1961, pp. 199. Superb illustrations and commentary on examples of wonderful urban design around the world. Click here to order the $31.95 1995 reprint at amazon.com.

"Cities, Revised Edition," by Lawrence Halprin, The MIT Press, 1972, pp.240. A classic illustrated guide to good urban design.

"The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces," by William H. Whyte, The Conservation Foundation, 1980, pp. 125.  Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"Urban Spaces," by David Kenneth Specter, New York Graphic Society, Ltd., 1974, pp. 279. Many superb photographs by the author, an architect whose buildings include the Galleria on West 57th Street.

"Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, Second Edition," by Robert Venturi, Museum of Modern Art, 1990.  Masterwork by famous and controversial architecture.  One of the finest books ever written on architecture.  See The City Review article on Venturi.  Click here to order the book from amazon.com.

"Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form, Revised Edition," by Robert Venturi, Denise S. Brown and Steven Izenour, MIT Press, pp. 192, 1977.  Incredibly controversial but even more influential study of low-brow taste.  See The City Review article on Venturi. Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"Iconography and Electronics upon a Generic Architecture: A View from the Drafting Room," by Robert Venturi, MIT Press, pp. 392, 1998.  Very interesting polemic by the controversial architect.  See The City Review article on the book.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book from amazon.com.

"City of Ambition, Artists & New York," by Elizabeth Sussman with John G. Hanhardt and assisted by Corey Keller with an essay by Brendan Gill, The Whitney Museum of American Art in association with Flammarion, 1996, pp. 144, catalogue of important exhibition with many fascinating illustrations. Click here to order the book at 30 percent off its $35 list price from amazon.com.

"The Architecture of Skyscrapers," by Francisco Asensio Cerver, Whitney Library of Design, pp. 168, 1997.  Fine study of international skyscraper design in the late 1990's with good photographs.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book at 20 percent off its $39.95 list price from amazon.com.

"Skyscrapers: Higher and Higher," by Caroline Mierop and Georges Binder with a preface by Paul Goldberger, 1996.  Major international study with excellent data and photographs.  Click here to order the book for $65 from amazon.com.

"Architecture for the Future," edited by Jean-Claude Dubost, Jean-Francois Gonthier and Olivier Bossiere, Terrail, pp. 208, 1996.  Excellent survey of exciting projects by many architects such as Daniel Liebeskind and Philip Johnson in the late 1990's. Click here to order the book at 20 percent off its $27.50 list price from amazon.com.

"The Skyward Trend of Thought: The Metaphysics of the American Skyscraper," by Thomas A. P. Van Leeuwen, MIT Press, 1990.  Insightful and interesting study that includes many New York towers. Click here to order the book for $18.50 from amazon.com.

"Impressionist New York," by William Gerdts, Abbeville Press, 1994, pp. 224. Handsome book by top 19th Century American Painting art expert with many color plates.  Click here or on the picture below of the book's cover to order the book for $24.98 from amazon.com.

"The Art Commission and The Municipal Art Society Guide to Manhattan's Outdoor Sculpture," by Margot Gayle and Michele Cohen, foreword by Mayor Edward I. Koch, Prentice Hall Press, 1988, pp. 342.

"Imagining the Future of the Museum of Modern Art: Studies in Modern Art 7," edited by John Elderfield, Harry N. Abrams, pp. 344, 1998.  Fascinating essays and interviews and discussions by many important artists, architects and curators on the museum's expansion.  See The City Review article on the expansion and the book.   Click here to order the book at 20 percent off its $35 list price from amazon.com.