'The latest in Oxygen Books' city-pick series, in which short literary extracts are seamlessly blended into a compelling narrative about a city. Once again Heather Reyes has crafted a remarkable statement about a city - Most importantly she captures the vibrancy and excitement that makes New York very special - This sublime and "literary" travel book operates on so many levels. For those who have never been in New York, here are some of the greatest writers painting the city in magical word pictures. For those who know and love the city, here are images so evocative you will feel as though you are there. And for those planning to visit, this is a compendium of everything that is special about the city.' Bruce Elder, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age 'With more than 150 excerpts from fiction and non-fiction, Reyes succeeds in capturing the authentic flavour of the Big Apple - this excellent addition to the city-pick series of urban anthologies' The Guardian 'A welcome glimpse into another part of this eternally energising city's soul' Wanderlust 'A wealth of atmospheric literary snippets that evoke the "crush and heave" of New York City - this gazette dips into a host of writers whose themes range through the city's history, jazz and architecture - a prismatic, engrossing and skimmable work, the book suggests further intriguing tangents for further exploration - both on foot and on the page' Financial Times 'There are a plethora of different city guide books out on the market, most of which are glorified lists of attractions, hotels, restaurants and shops. They are as impersonal as they are repetitive and those who follow their advice religiously often find another thousand tourists in any given place that have done exactly the same. They are fine for practical information but they are certianly not going to enrich your experience or offer you anything a quick trip to the tourist office couldn't provide. Not so for the 'city-pick' series of books, which regroups the very best of literature written about the greatest cities on the planet from some of its finest authors. The New York edition is divided into 12 sections, including, 'On the Waterfront', 'Big Yellow Taxis etc' and 'Celebrity City', and offers insights into various aspects of The Big Apple as seen through those who have written about it. Snipets of work from the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Truman Capote and Washington Irving stir up images of the city from days gone by while Beatrice Colin, Teju Cole and Ian Frazier give a more modern day account of the city that never sleeps. Unlike the regular guide book, the city-pick book is one that you can make your own, or rather one that will make your trip your very own and not the same as the next person who has bought Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. Open the book at whichever page you desire and there will be a sentence to make you think, to make you dream, to make you wonder (or even wander). It is the type of book that can be read before, during and after your visit but which will have three very different meanings. Equally, you could just choose to read it, or part of it, before you leave and visit those areas of the city which have left the deepest impression on you. Or why not open it up once you've arrived and see where the writing takes you. Or simply leave it at home, take some time to let it all sink in and then compare your thoughs, feelings and emotions to those who have put theirs down in black and white. The city-pick collection is a superb way to learn about a destination that you do not know at all and an equally good way to challenge your perceptions or complement your knowledge about one that you (think you) do know. The type of book that can be opened up at any page, the city-pick guide also covers Paris, London, Berlin, Dublin, Amsterdam and Venice.' Easyvoyager 'The hubbub of clamouring voices covers the history of the city, the difference between the five boroughs, the architecture, the famous inhabitants, the experience of living in NYC and more. It's an intriguing prospect, and the multitude of subjects and viewpoints gives a good impression of the heterogeneity and bustle of the great metropolis, and succeeds in painting it as a unique and thrilling place' The Irish Times 'Oxygen Books' range of "city-pick" titles collect the best bits of writing about a certain city. Having hop, skipped and jumped from Venice to Amsterdam via Berlin and other European cities they have finally crossed the Atlantic to the Big Apple. A slim volume, perfect for carry-on, the New York edition is a fast-paced powerwalk through different "themes" or moods of the city, including "On the waterfront", "And all that jazz" and "Village Life". Each chapter contains segments from published works from writers such as Tom Wolfe, Saul Bellow and Jonathan Franzen, mixing memoir with fiction, reportage and travel writing. Perhaps the most affecting is "Good Times, Bad Times", which includes a section from Don DeLillo's Falling Man, centered around 9/11, with its nightmarish vision of "falling ash and near night". Other standouts include Jan Morris' evocation of the overcrowded tenements in the 1940s, known as "lung blocks" because of the easy spread of TB, and Luc Sante's depiction of the "freewheeling bohemia" hipster hangout that was Greenwich Village (before the rents went up). Edited by Heather Reyes, City Pick: New York works both as an excellent, and imaginative, alternative travel guide, and as an easy way for wannabe Manhattanites to pop in and out of the city that never sleeps.' Katie Allen, We Love This Book 'A street-by-street collection of Big Apple writings from Jan Morris to F Scott Fitzgerald to Alan Bennett that gives readers as much social and historical insight as it does a geographical one - Overall the tone works well and the start of a new chapter is a welcome glimpse into another part of this eternally energising city's soul' Wanderlust 'We really liked this approach to New York, New York is the place that most of us feel we know, whether we have visited, or not. Full of fascinating descriptive passages; 'People lean on their horns from one end of Canal Street to the other. They'll honk non-stop for minutes at a time, until the horns get tired and out of breath. They'll try different combinations: shave-and-a-haircut, long-long-long, short-short-short-long. Some people have musical car horns; a person purchasing a musical car horn seems to be limited to a choice of four tunes-"La Cucaracha" "Theme from The Godfather" "Dixie, and "Hava Nagila" Ian Frazier, Gone to New York (2005). This book creates a picture of New York through the writers who have visited, or who have described New York in the writings. A wonderful, imaginative creative take on New York, that will be a perfect companion to anyone thinking of visiting, or to bring back memories for anyone who has previously visited. Highly Recommended! Hot Brands and Cool Places

Editor Heather Reyes lives near London and is co-publisher of Oxygen Books.

Contents_____________________________________________ Editor's introduction I � New York_________________________________________ Edmund White, City Boy Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities Lawrence Block, Small Town E. B. White, Here is New York Jonathan Franzen, How To Be Alone Saul Bellow, Mr Sammler's Planet Vivian Gornick, Approaching Eye Level Frances Trollope, Domestic Manners of the Americans F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's John Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Colette Rossant, Madeleines in Manhattan Michael Cunningham, The Hours Building the Big Apple__________________________________ Martin Amis, Money Jay McInerney, Bright Lights Big City Edward Rutherfurd, New York Washington Irving, A History of New York Gabriel Brownstein, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Apt.3W' Jed Rubenfeld, The Interpretation of Murder Edward Rutherfurd, New York Todd McEwen, Who Sleeps With Katz Edward Rutherfurd, New York Todd McEwen, Who Sleeps With Katz Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities Adam Gopnik, Through the Children's Gate Marshall Berman, On The Town Joseph O'Neill, Netherland Don DeLillo, Underworld Gary Shteyngart, Absurdistan Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin Marian Edmunds, 'Blue, blue sky' Benjamin Markovits, Either Side of Winter Tania James, Atlas of Unknowns Alistair Cooke, Letter from America Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Beatrice Colin, The Songwriter Alan Bennett, Untold Stories Alexander Chancellor, Some Times in America Paule Marshall, Brown Girl, Brownstones Jonathan Lethem, The Fortress of Solitude Luc Sante, Low Life Alistair Cooke, Letter from America Gabriel Brownstein, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Apt.3W' Adam Gopnik, Through the Children's Gate On the waterfront_____________________________________ Jan Morris, A Writer's World F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Crack-Up Jed Rubenfeld, The Interpretation of Murder John Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer Helen Keller, Midstream: My Later Life Edgar Allan Poe, Doings of Gotham Al Smith, Up To Now Stephen Graham, New York Nights Helen Keller, Midstream: My Later Life Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Al Smith, Up To Now Teju Cole, Open City Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Ed Pilkington, 'Back on the Waterfront' The Guardian 2 May 2011 I am a stranger here myself______________________________ Bernardo Vega, Memoirs Edward Rutherfurd, New York Alistair Cooke, Letter from America Mario Puzo, The Fortunate Pilgrim Henry David Thoreau, Letters from Staten Island Gary Shteyngart, The Russian Debutante's Handbook Wolfgang Koeppen, Amerikafarht (American Journey) Tama Janowitz, Area Code 212 Ian Frazier, Here is New York Junot Diaz, Drown Anne Matthews, Wild Nights Jurek Becker, 'A New York Week' Good times, bad times___________________________________ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Crack-Up Edward Rutherford, New York Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Joyce Johnson, Minor Characters Philip Hone, Diary George Templeton Strong, The Diaries Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation Lawrence Block, Small Town Edward Rutherfurd, New York Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Edward Rutherfurd, New York Gabriel Brownstein, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Apt.3W' Edmund White, City Boy Paul Auster, City of Glass Alan Bennett, Untold Stories Don DeLillo, Falling Man Adam Gopnik, Through the Children's Gate Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Adam Gopnik, Through the Children's Gate Todd McEwen, Who Sleeps With Katz And all that jazz_______________________________________ Beatrice Colin, The Songwriter James Weldon Johnson, The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man Langston Hughes, The Big Sea Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Paule Marshall, Brown Girl, Brownstones Edmund White, City Boy Todd McEwen, Who Sleeps With Katz Vanessa Threapleton-Horrocks, 'The Frick: from frivolous to fabulous' Luc Sante, Low Life Quentin Crisp, Resident Alien Edmund White, City Boy Teju Cole, Open City Vanessa Threapleton-Horrocks, 'Opera-Nation' Edward Rutherford, New York Big weather___________________________________________ David Leavitt, The Lost Language of Cranes Joseph O'Neill, Netherland Juliana Nash, 'Snow' David Leavitt, The Lost Language of Cranes Jose Marti, 'New York Under the Snow' Helen Keller, Midstream: My Later Life Benjamin Markovits, Either Side of Winter Zoe Heller, The Believers Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar Martin Amis, Money Beatrice Colin, The Songwriter Happy holidays________________________________________ Alan Bennett, Untold Stories Teju Cole, Open City Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Todd McEwen, Who Sleeps With Katz Gabriel Brownstein, 'The Dead Fiddler, 5E' Todd McEwen, Who Sleeps With Katz Alistair Cooke, Letter from America Benjamin Markovits, Either Side of Winter Philip Hone, Diary Maxim Gorky, 'Boredom' Big yellow taxis etc_____________________________________ Wolfgang Koeppen, Amerikafarht (American Journey) Alexander Chancellor, Some Times in America Marshall Berman, On the Town Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Benjamin Markovits, Either Side of Winter Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Zoe Heller, The Believers Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Gabriel Brownstein, 'The Speedboat' John Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries Village life____________________________________________ Suze Rotolo, A Freewheelin' Time Luc Sante, Low Life Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Suze Rotolo, A Freewheelin' Time Suze Rotolo, A Freewheelin' Time Colette Rossant, Madeleines in Manhattan Edmund White, City Boy Todd McEwen, Who Sleeps With Katz Celebrity city__________________________________________ Luc Sante, Low Life Philip Hone, Diary Jed Rubenfeld, The Interpretation of Murder Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Edward Rutherford, New York Alistair Cooke, Letter from America Sherrill Tippins, February House Stephen Clarke, Merde Happens Joseph O'Neill, Netherland Alexander Chancellor, Some Times in America Sherrill Tippins, February House James Thurber, The Years With Ross Alan Bennett, Untold Stories E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime Leslie Stainton, Lorca: A Dream of Life Marshall Berman, On the Town New Yorkers__________________________________________ Saul Bellow, Mr Sammler's Planet Tama Janowitz, Area Code 212 Saul Bellow, Mr Sammler's Planet Alexander Chancellor, Some Times in America John Updike, Odd Jobs Quentin Crisp, Resident Alien Jonathan Franzen, How To Be Alone Melissa Bank, The Wonder Spot Martin Amis, Money Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Julia Blackburn, With Billie Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Thomas Wolfe, Death to Morning Edmund White, City Boy Saul Bellow, Mr Sammler's Planet Jan Morris, Manhattan '45 Ian Frazier, Gone to New York Ian Frazier, Gone to New York E. L. Doctorow, City of God