A rich historical and personal portrait of Manhattan from the bestselling writer who is for many the living embodiment of the city.

Manhattan, the keystone of New York City, is a place of ghosts and buried memory. One can still see remnants of the British colony, the mansions of the robber barons, and the speakeasies of the 1920s. These are the places that have captivated the imaginations of writers for centuries. Now Pete Hamill brings his unique knowledge and deep love of the city to a New York chronicle like no other.

During his 40 years as a newspaperman, Pete Hamill has been getting to know Manhattan's neighborhoods and inhabitants intimately, bearing witness to their greatest triumphs and tragedies. From the winding, bohemian streets of Greenwich Village to the seedy alleyways of the meatpacking district and to the weathered cobblestones of South Street Seaport, Hamill peels back the layers of history to reveal the citys past, present, and future.

More than just history or reporting, this is an elegy by a native son who has lived through some of New Yorks most historic moments, and who continues to call this magnificent, haunted city his home.

"New Yorkers love calamity,' writes Hamill in this marvelous guide to the most expensive piece of real estate in the world. This is a look at the calamities — and the successes — that have struck downtown Manhattan since the time of the first explorers from the Old World. Hamill's Manhattan is filled with history, architecture and giant personalities. Readers will be thrust into the Civil War riots in Greenwich Village in 1863 and will rejoice in a Times Square filled with delirious New Yorkers on VJ Day in 1945. They will watch the city grow as the subway crawls northward and the big skyscrapers begin to pop up, from the Woolworth Building in 1913 to the World Trade Center in the 1970s. The city's rogues and heroes are portrayed in action — from Aaron Burr and John Jacob Astor to Stanford White, Walter Winchell and a visiting Oscar Wilde. This is a companion piece to Forever, Hamill's novel of New York, and The Drinking Life, which explored the city through the alcohol-fueled eyes of the young Hamill. It is written with insight, humor and, most of all, a deep love of the Big Apple. Perhaps Hamill's mother, Anne Devlin, best put it into perspective: 'You've seen it before,' she told young Peter the first time he was transfixed by the spires of Gotham. 'It's Oz.' Agent, Esther Newberg. (Dec. 1) Forecast: A national advertising and media campaign is planned. Hamill, a favorite on the talk show circuit, is sure to appear all over just before the holidays, giving this title a nice Christmas boost." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"[A] delightfully personal, robustly informative portrait of New York....A marvelous read for anyone who has a hometown." Booklist

"[A] delightful, informative, and elegantly shaded account....A finely etched and hand-colored portrait from one of those rare reporters who has lived long and hard in his beat." Kirkus Reviews

"A highly literate and eloquent writer....Hamill masterfully includes many astonishing facts....The book ends with Hamill generously sharing his sources for readers wanting to continue learning about the city. Highly recommended." Library Journal

"Hamill's brilliant tribute to the city he loves. It is part history, part memoir, and part elegy....This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand this great city or is planning a visit." BookReporter

"Downtown is a seductive book. Hamill depicts Manhattan as a place that is never dull, if often mildly insane. He makes you want to enjoy his city as much as he does, and as I'm sure he'd agree, there's always room for more alloy." Rocky Mountain News

"[H]ardly essential, but thoroughly engaging, a hard-to-categorize series of elegies strung together, neighborhood by storied neighborhood." Miami Herald

"[E]ven the most prideful of New Yorkers is likely to learn something from this avuncular little book." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

More than just history or reporting, this is an elegy by a native son who has lived through some of New York's most historic moments, and continues to call this magnificent, haunted city his home.

Pete Hamill started his career at the New York Post in 1960. He is the author of seven novels and two collections of stories, and his writing has appeared in most national magazines. He has been a columnist for many years, and currently writes for New York's Daily News. He lives in New York City with his wife, writer Fukiko Aoki.