Why read Capital City?

Book cover of Capital City: New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Economic Dominance, 1860-1900

Book description

Describes the emergence of post-Civil War New York City, as it evolved from a port city to metropolis via the birth of capitalism, and how such moguls as Rockefeller, Carnegie, and J. P. Morgan helped define the foundation of twentieth-century financial institutions. By the author of Fiorello H. LaGuardia and…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Capital City as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Lynne B. Sagalyn

Author

It’s near impossible not to fall for the lure of urban history when a skilled writer brings to light compelling stories of the men (atlas no women in this book) who transformed New York into an economic powerhouse, the capital of capitalism, in the late 19th century.

Their names are familiar but not so their complete stories: J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, Samuel Gompers, Theodore Roosevelt. The writing is so good, it’s hard to put the book down.

From Lynne's list on The best books to excite a passion for understanding cities.