Synopses & Reviews
A New York Times Notable Book Arthur Gelb was hired by The New York Times in 1944 as a night copyboythe papers lowliest position. Forty-five years later, he retired as its managing editor. Along the way, he exposed crooked cops and politicians, mentored a generation of our most-talented journalists, was the first to praise the as-yet-undiscovered Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand, and brought Joe Papp instant recognition. From D-Day to the liberation of the concentration camps, from the agony of Vietnam to the resignation of a President, from the fall of Joe McCarthy to the rise of the Woodstock Nation,” Gelb gives an insiders take on the great events of this nation's historywhat he calls the happiest days of my life.”
Review
Praise for City Room “Essential reading for people who love (and hate) The Times.”—Gay Talese
“A large window into the inner workings of one of the countrys premier institutions…enlightening as it is entertaining.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Superbly written, with integrity and elegance.”—Elie Wiesel
“A magnificent memoir of coming of age amidst the vibrancy and kaleidoscopic life of Americas greatest city, seen from the perspective of a brilliant career on our greatest newspaper. City Room is a grand read.”—Neil Sheehan
“A sense of intelligent innocence permeates this affectionate memoir.”—Pete Hamill
“Rich with personalities.”—The New Yorker
About the Author
Arthur Gelb joined the New York Times in 1944, when manual typewriters, green eyeshades, spittoons, floors littered with cigarette butts, and two bookies were what he found in the city room. Gelb, who had just turned twenty, began as a copyboy. When he retired at the mandatory age of 65, he was managing editor. Gelb is now director of The New York Times College Scholarship Program.