On the Town
One Hundred Years of Spectacle in Times Square
Published on 5. May 2020
304 pages
978-1-78960-497-9 (ISBN)
Description
Described as 'a continuous carnival' and 'the crossroads of the world,' Times Square is a singular phenomenon: the spot where imagination and veracity intersect. To Marshall Berman, it is also the flashing, teeming, and strangely beautiful nexus of his life. In this remarkable book, Berman takes us on a thrilling illustrated tour of Times Square, revealing a landscape both mythic and real. Interleafing his own recollections with social commentary, he reveals how movies, graphic arts, literature, popular music, television, and, of course, the Broadway theater have reflected Times Square's voluminous light to illuminate a vast spectrum of themes and vignettes. Part love letter, part revelatory semiotic exposition of a place known to all, On the Town is a nonstop excursion to the heart of American civilization, written by one of our keenest, most entertaining cultural observers.
More details
Edition
Ebook UK & RoW
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Reflowable
ISBN-13
978-1-78960-497-9 (9781789604979)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2009
Verso Books
€28.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Marshall Berman was Distinguished Professor of Political Science at City College of New York and CCNY Graduate Center, where he taught Political Theory and Urban Studies and is the author of The Politics of Authenticity, All That Is Solid Melts into Air, and On the Town.
Content
- Cover Page
- Halftitle Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Author's Note: New Girl in Town
- Preface: One Hundred Years of Spectacle
- Chapter 1: Home Fires Burning: Times Square's Signs
- Chapter 2: Broadway, Love, and Theft: Al Jolson's Jazz Singer
- Chapter 3: A Human Eye: Sailors in the Square
- Chapter 4: Times Girl and Her Daughters
- Chapter 5: The Street Splits and Twists
- Chapter 6: The New Millennium: Living Inside the Deal
- Epilogue: Reuters and Me
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Index
