Jonathan Gill

Harlem must be one of the most well-known neighbourhoods in one of the most iconic cities of the world, New York. What do we really know about this area and what lies behind Harlem? Starting with its founding as a country village outside New York used mainly as a rich-man’s getaway from the bustle of the 17th century city, this book charts the rise, fall and rebirth of Harlem.

The first half of the book focuses on the development of the village - the buildings, people and social life. The second half narrows its focus to the development of black society, and its political consciousness, in 20th century New York.

The book is packed with fascinating vignettes of the development of American social, political and economic life that provide a different perspective on how what is essentially small-town America grew up.

Clearly written for an American audience, the book assumes a lot of knowledge about the history and geography of New York that may confuse the world reader. More importantly, there are no maps!… (mer)