Toronto: Biography of a City

This is a very pleasant read, as much a cultural and social history of our city as a political one. It is not that the political history is uninteresting but the other aspects are what make it a well-rounded "biography". Allan Levine has captured Toronto's zeitgeist with humour and some pathos. I am old enough to remember the Toronto of the 40s and 50s;this book brought back a lot of the memories of that weird time.

A little better than ok.

I've been living in Toronto almost 30 years and never tire of reading books about its history.This book starts us off in the early 1600s with Étienne Brûlé, who may have been the first European to explore the Toronto area in 1615. He had arrived in Quebec with Samuel de Champlain when he was about 16 as an indentured servant. The book ends with the embarrassment that is our current (but thankfully soon-to-be-ex) mayor, Rob Ford.The chapters are:* The Carrying Place* British Muddy York* The Rebellion* A City of Courage and Green* Hogtown the Good* The Ward* Toronto the Dull* Subways, Suburbia and Paesani* The Fastest-Growing City in North America* Jane's Disciples* This is Where it's at* Multiculturalism, Merger and Mel* Megacity Machinations (or Madness)The book provides a lot of information about the people and happenings over the centuries. I liked that the information was provided a high level yet there was just enough info provided. With some things, I found that I was interested enough to Google to learn more.I liked the writing style. I find that some historical books can be boring because they read like a text book ... this one didn't. Sometimes the author seemed to get gossipy about whoever he was talking about and that was fun.Some of the information was amusing. For example, back in July 1855, an American circus was in town. Some clowns got liquored up and went to a brothel. Members of the volunteer fire brigade were also there. Nasty words were exchanged and the two groups started brawling. Drunk clowns and firemen fighting ... that would have been something to see!It was appalling how racist Toronto was (I imagine most places were and unfortunately still are), especially against Jews, Blacks and Chinese. Back in the 1930s, Velma, a white woman, was dating Harry, a Chinese guy. Because of that, she was sentenced to one year in a reformatory with thieves, prostitutes and vagrants.It's a substantial book (almost 500 pages) but I didn't find it dragged. There is a section at the end of the book with a lot of pictures, plus another section with an extensive bibliography if you want to read more about a person or event.I enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you live in Toronto or if you want to learn more about our city.Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/10/book-toronto-biography-of-city-2014.html

This book is absolutely gorgeous -- a great book for your coffee table! Levine's prose is concise and engaging, and the chapters are short and readable. The book gets better with each chapter; some of the early descriptions of Toronto are a bit dry, but later chapters about modern life in the city are fascinating. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is in love with Canada's largest (dare I say greatest!?) city!

Canada at it's clear, concise, creative, charming self with interesting insights into the social and political character. Toronto truly described and explained as a good guide for anyone travelling to Canada.

Fun to look at.

This book is really great. It should be a must read for all students in Toronto and maybe in Ontario. The history of this great city should be on the curriculem.

Always happy shopping on Amazon and with their partners. Great selection, good value, excellent delivery time. I'll be back often. thank-you

Gift for Grandma, she seems to really like it.