Christmas in New York

What I truly loved about this book, aside from it's fun, compact, easily tote-able size, is that it tells the story of many beloved New York holiday landmarks and traditions, from the Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Tree at Rockerfeller Center. As a New Yorker, these are integral aspects of Christmas--Celebrated and admired year after year with little question or understanding as to where their traditions stemmed. This book takes you back to the first windows ever displayed on 5th Ave, while telling fun, quirky stories about the Macy's Parade balloons and how in the early years, they were actually released into the air at the end of every parade. This was eventually halted when an airplane almost crashed into one, and ships on the Atlantic reported strange floating sea creatures! I have always loved New York during the holidays and I feel as if this book has increased my appreciation of them by giving me a greater connection to their origins. It's a quick read, which is good in one aspect, (it covers a lot of topics) but you don't get a whole heck of a lot of detail on each topic. Though, it is just enough to keep you interested and moves you right along to the next topic. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is becuase none of the photographs in the book are color. Personally, I would have been willing to pay slightly more for the book to get color pics.. You just dont do justice to Christmas anything in black and white--but its nice that there are a few pictures, especially that of the first Rockerfeller Christmas tree ever, that workmen erected on the then construction site during the depression. The men spent so much of their time their, they got their own little tree and decorated it with cans and other things that were strewn about... But truly this book would have been much improved if color photographs were included. Otherwise this is a fun coffe table table medley of history and tradition!

This book couldn't be made better if you tried. Daniel Pool did an excellent job describing New York at Christmastime. From Rockefeller Center to Tiffany's & Co. This book describes everything to see, from store windows to parades, to movies.This is a must have for anyone visiting New York this holiday season, and a beautiful book to add to any collection.

I bought this book to share with my three sons, as we are taking our first family vacation to New York this Thanksgiving, and I was looking for something to enhance their appreciation of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectactular. Without even looking I knew the author was a New Yorker. Reading this book feels like listening to a narrative by someone in your family, describing the charm of your own home town to a young adult or out of towner. Of course this town is New York City-the very heart of the Christmas Spirit in the United States! This book gave me what I was looking for and so much more. As if the sheer sight of New York at Christmas isn't enough, the history and stories shared by the author has deepened my love of the Holidays, this sensational city and the people who experienced it in the past and in the years to come.

Daniel Pool has scored again! The social historian who delighted me with What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, as well as his second book, Dickens' Fur Coat and Charlotte's Unanswered Letters, has written a delightful, entertaining, fact-crammed little book on the Christmas holidays in New York. The photographs are great fun, since so many of them recapture important moments of the past. The design of the book makes it luxurious to hold and easy to read. This book is the stocking-stuffer par excellence because it is learned, visual, and, most important, fun!