Overview

Washington, D.C., President John F. Kennedy once remarked, is a city of """"southern efficiency and northern charm."""" Kennedy's quip was close to the mark. Since its creation two centuries ago, Washington has been a community with multiple personalities. Located on the regional divide between North and South, it has been a tidewater town, a southern city, a coveted prize in fighting between the states, a symbol of a reunited nation, a hub for central government, an extension of the Boston-New York megalopolis, and an international metropolis. In an exploration of the many identities Washington has taken on over time, Carl Abbott examines the ways in which the city's regional orientation and national symbolism have been interpreted by novelists and business boosters, architects and blues artists, map makers and politicians. Each generation of residents and visitors has redefined Washington, he says, but in ways that have utilized or preserved its past. The nation's capital is a city whose history lives in its neighborhoods, people, and planning, as well as in its monuments and museums. |An unconventional history of Washington, D.C., this book explores the city's many identities over time, from tidewater town to international metropolis.

Full Product Details

9780807848050

Table of Contents

Reviews

[L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University �L�ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World �A� fascinating urban history. Journal of American History After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University Beneath the vignettes of visitors and residents lies a solid framework of analysis. The Journal of American History This provocative book does much to complicate our ideas about the city. Journal of Interdisciplinary History [L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World [A] fascinating urban history. Journal of American History

[L]ucid and revealing.<p>Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World

[L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University YLucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World YA fascinating urban history. Journal of American History After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University Beneath the vignettes of visitors and residents lies a solid framework of analysis. The Journal of American History This provocative book does much to complicate our ideas about the city. Journal of Interdisciplinary History [L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World [A] fascinating urban history. Journal of American History

[L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University L ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World A fascinating urban history. Journal of American History After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University This provocative book does much to complicate our ideas about the city. Journal of Interdisciplinary History [L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World Beneath the vignettes of visitors and residents lies a solid framework of analysis. The Journal of American History [A] fascinating urban history. Journal of American History

[L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University A fascinating urban history. Journal of American History L ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World After reading this book, no one will see Washington in quite the same way.Howard Gillette Jr., George Washington University Beneath the vignettes of visitors and residents lies a solid framework of analysis. The Journal of American History This provocative book does much to complicate our ideas about the city. Journal of Interdisciplinary History [L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World [A] fascinating urban history. Journal of American History

[L]ucid and revealing.Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World

Author Information

Carl Abbott is professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University. His books include The Metropolitan Frontier: Cities in the Modern American West and The New Urban America: Growth and Politics in Sunbelt Cities.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available