Review: The Gods of New York by Jonathan Mahler (Washington Post)

The never-ending battle for the soul of New York City is a dependable subject for nonfiction writers. In his walloping new book, “The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990,” Jonathan Mahler chronicles a particularly dramatic period in the saga: febrile years when economic inequality, homelessness, racial tension, political corruption, AIDS, Black Monday and crack were just a few of the challenges facing the city. In examining the actions of some of the era’s boldest-face names, Mahler casts light on how New York moved from being one kind of metropolis to quite another and how the often-shocking events of the period continue to reverberate today.

How is history best digested? In an earlier book, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning,” Mahler focused on a single year, 1977, and the cultural, political and sporting moments that defined it. This time, his aperture is wider: the third and final administration of Mayor Ed Koch (1986-1989), “four of the most convulsive and consequential years in the modern history of New York.” Those years bridged the municipal rebirth that took place during Koch’s early mayoralty and the further transformations enacted under mayors David Dinkins, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg. And they were turbulent: By the time 1989 rolled around, the city was breaking records for murders, drug cases, incarceration and homelessness.

For the review in full, visit The Washington Post.