The Secret City: Woodlawn Cemetery and the Buried History of New York

By Fred Goodman

Book Overview

In the spirit of Joseph Mitchell and E. L. Doctorow, a haunting and genre-defying portrait gallery of once-eminent, now half-forgotten New Yorkers buried in the city's largest cemetery Woodlawn... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767906470
• ISBN13: 9780767906470
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Broadway
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.1" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

The quiet stories.

When you drive or walk by a cemetery you are used to hearing silence, this book loudly proclaims the interesting stories behind the walls. Fred Goodman encourages us to consider the past and it was an enjoyable trip. Thanks for the journey. (If you're looking for pictures-there are plenty of sites online for that) Randi Woods

Guide to dem' who wuz famous

Compelling stories of several NYC movers and shakers, who ain't movin' or shakin' no more. Each chapter introduces a new individual (mayor, journalist, sculptor, railroad magnate, etc.) and opens up their world, their time, and shows how they made their mark. This book is crammed with well-researched details and intriguing references. I loved learning of the connections to people who are still famous (Caruso, Whitman, Chester Allen Arthur, etc.) and listening like a fly on the wall to the imagined conversations. Secret City is an enjoyable view into NYC history -- even the bibliography is fun!

Some people should never be forgotten

This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about the beauty that lives in cemeteries. They are great repositories of love, collections of monuments to people who were loved. The book shows those of us who may never get to see Woodlawn the peaceful beauty that is to be found there and lets the world see it in a new way.