I THINK that is the genre I am looking for…let me explain:
I have found three books recently which are about their respective cities during a particular time: Detroit circa 1962-3 in “Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story” by David Maraniss, New York (specifically the Bronx) in 1977 in “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronix is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City” by Jonathan Mahler, and modern Oklahoma City in “Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, its Chaotic Founding…its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-Class Metropolis” by Sam Anderson (which is more a general history all around of Oklahoma City, but with a particular focus on one season of the Thunders NBA team included, so I am counting it).
So I guess my question is, does anyone have any recommendations along those lines? I am particularly fascinated in these in particular with how sports interacts with politics and culture, but I am open to anything along these lines that might have a lot of intersecting narratives based around one city.
I also found another book I haven’t read it, but it looks to be along these lines. “Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love” about 70s San Francisco.
It seems like there should be SOMETHING about Chicago or Boston in particular, but I am having no luck finding anything on those cities nor any other books about any cities, so I am very open to suggestions.
Boardwalk Empire By Nelson Johnson 2002 is focused on Nucky Johnson but he is tied to the City’s history and the book goes into it in good detail.
Washington: The Making of the American Capital by Fergus M Bordevich 2008 is about the battle to found a capital city and the initial platting of DC. Nothing after that.
Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin 2010 is about Ford’s failed city.
My Father’s Gun by Brian McDonald for a history of the NYPD. From the General Slocum to the French Connection and “Fort Apache” in the Bronx, culminating in the 1990s.
“Cities in Civilization”, Sir Peter Hall might be a quality read for you. He looks at approx 20 cities throughout history… from Ur to Tokyo… in their most influential period and explains why those periods occurred in those cities at that time.
I’ve heard good things about Where the River Burned: Carl Stokes and the Struggle to Save Cleveland by David and Richard Stradling, but haven’t read it.
Thanks everyone. I have heard of some of these in other contexts before. Based on reading reviews and other stuff about each book, it looks like maybe “Boss” and “Where the River Burned” might be the closest to what I am looking for among these suggestions, but I can’t really put my finger on why those and not the others.