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New York by Gas-Light and Other Urban Sketches
by George G. Foster
from University of California Press
Customer Reviews:
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Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 
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Brilliant and funny
After suffering through the prolonged editor's remarks trying to fruitlessless explain Foster's life, go to the real meat of this book. Mr. Foster gives you an insider's look into New York City in the middle of the 19th century. Perhaps he exaggerates some points, but his writing style is rivetting and exceptionally funny for a 19th century author. A must-read!
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A Great Sampler of a Great Sensationalist
Stuart Blumin has done a brilliant job of capturing the essence of George Foster's contemporaneous accounts of New York as he presented it, in "New York by Gas-Light and Other Urban Sketches". By that I mean that this collection of "sketches" are not to be taken as literal accounts. This is not a history. George Foster was one of the acknowledged kings of sensationalism when it came to writing about mid-19th century New York City. While the Five Points neighborhood was a crime-ridden, filthy... more info
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Excellent First-Person Account of New York Life in 1850
This book was a delight to read. The fact that it was written as a first person account, using the vernacular of the time, made it even better. Also, the fact that the majority of the book is involved with nocturnal New York, and all the seedy goings-on one might associate with it in any time period, make it even more interesting. I especially liked the way Foster evoked a sense of adventure, by figuratively taking the readers hand and "leading" him down darkened streets and alleys, etc.For a quick dose... more info
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