Downtown (Abridged): My Manhattan Audiobook

" Nostalgic fiction of the history of Manhattan. Well done!. "

" Absolutely fantastic. Equal parts travel guide, history book, and memoir. Hamill takes his readers along on a walk uptown from the battery to Times Square, recounting historical notes on places he passes and sharing personal attachments to each place, spinning off into memories of a writer's life in New York. A New Yorker to the bone, Hamill never loses his sense of wonder at the beat and pulse of the city. "

" I enjoyed this history of downtown Manhattan but felt like he could have omitted 50 pages. I really enjoyed reading about the early history of the island and how the city grew but felt like in the last third of the book, Hamill told the same story over and over. "

" Aside from his disappointingly sweeping dismissal of New York's current young population, this was a total gem. I loved the rest of the book so much that I'm willing to let it go. "

" holy shit can pete hamill write. if you love manhattan then do yourself a favor and read this book. nuff said. "

" I wish I could be the Pete Hamill of Boston. He obviously loves his city and he makes you love it too. "

" This is an unremarkable read full of cliches about the city and its indominatable immigrant spirit. We need more facts and less Fodor's "character of a place" essay. The best part is when he quotes the first couple of paragraphs of MOBY DICK. "

" I listened to this from Audible. Hamill's vice really makes this short book work...I want to walk with him around Manhattan as he points out the history and his own memories. "

" Having recently visited New York, I found this book interesting and enjoyable. "

" Splendiferous book, and a great thing to be reading while in New York City. I learned a great deal, and have sent quoted passages to guyczuk, who was in NYC this summer. "

" Amazing Pete Hamill, as usual! "

" I am reading this now. As a NYC junkie, it's fascinating. "

" I had a hard time finishing this book. Unless you are really into the history of Manhattan you might want to skip it. "

" I loved the little secrets of Manhattan that I picked up from this book. They greatly enhanced my recent visit to NYC? And Pete Hamill's prose is lovely, almost poetry. "

" An author's sentimental love affair with New York, but all in a good way. I took this book on a walking tour of the battery last weekend and it was incredibley interesting. Washington Square Park is next. "

" I'm only a few pages into this book, but I'm enjoying it immensely. He presents a walking narrative of the city, starting at Battery Park, then to One Broadway. I have this checked out from the library, but will probably purchase my own copy. "

" I was expecting a travel guide or at least more of a series of stories of his own about the places he frequented. This is more of a serious, in depth history of New York. It is a great book for someone interested in history, but it was not my cup of tea. "

" Nobody knows New York City like Pete Hamill. Reading this was like a walk through history, through today, and through Hamill's own heart. "

" This book is pretty darn good. Esp. the fact that i got it for $1. It explors NYC from a reporter's point of view, and he just does a great job. "

" If you want a great history of New York, this is the book to read! "

" Makes me want to live in Manhatten! It's a good story, and a "must read" for anyone preparing to visit the city. Great history of the town. The author's love for NY clearly shows. "

" A great history lesson intertwined with his emotional experiences growing up in NYC. He feels like he's lost the city he loves, and this is a great marker of time. "

" A loveingly reverent paean to home. "

" I listened to this, and I learned a lot about the changing cityscape of New York, over the last century. Hamill clearly loves Manhattan, and that love is evident throughout. "

" wanna b a downtown girl "

" If you were born and raised in Brooklyn or Manhattan, this book becomes part of you and if you haven't walked the streets he mentioned, you sure want to get out there and do so. He brings the history on downtown Manhattan to life and makes you value NYC more. Hats off to Hamill for this one. "

" This book was great. It was written beautifully and cohesively, with history and present woven together as he walks through Downtown Manhattan. Everything Hamill says is how I feel about New York. "

" A must read for New Yorkers. History woven into loving personal tour; 9/11 into some perspective; all in Hamill's inimitable style. "

" Makes me want to live in Manhatten! It's a good story, and a "must read" for anyone preparing to visit the city. Great history of the town. The author's love for NY clearly shows. "

" Just love it! This is the best "

" Having recently visited New York, I found this book interesting and enjoyable. "

" An immensely clear view of the history (both personal and general) of Pete Hamill's "downtown Manhattan." "

" This book reads like a novel, traveling through New York City history, without being to dry. "

" The book was poorly organized, so hard to follow. What I will remember is how several horrible areas of New York were cleaned-up and completely transformed from being dangerous places full of violence, gangs, and drugs to being parks, etc. It really gives you hope in these crazy times! "

" Sadly, works neither as a history nor as a memoir. It's not enough of either. I like the writing style, but found myself skimming. "

" holy shit can pete hamill write. if you love manhattan then do yourself a favor and read this book. nuff said. "

" I wish I could be the Pete Hamill of Boston. He obviously loves his city and he makes you love it too. "

" A love song for downtown manhattan from Pete Hamill. Though occasionally a over-breathless, it's still a fun read and good introduction to estoeric New York City history. "

" Loved this memoire about Hamill's love affair with his hometown. Loaded with history so much so that when I ended the book I restarted the first few chapters to remind myself about all the cool stuff I had forgotten from overload! What a great read! "