City Room - by Arthur Gelb (Paperback)

About the Book

In this "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the Year, a former managing editor of the "New York Times" tells the story of his rise from night copyboy--and of the great events of the past 50 years.

Book Synopsis

A New York Times Notable Book

Arthur Gelb was hired by The New York Times in 1944 as a night copyboy--the paper's lowliest position. Forty-five years later, he retired as its managing editor. Along the way, he exposed crooked cops and politicians, mentored a generation of our most-talented journalists, was the first to praise the as-yet-undiscovered Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand, and brought Joe Papp instant recognition. From D-Day to the liberation of the concentration camps, from the agony of Vietnam to the resignation of a President, from the fall of Joe McCarthy to the rise of the "Woodstock Nation," Gelb gives an insider's take on the great events of this nation's history--what he calls "the happiest days of my life."

Review Quotes

Praise for City Room

"Essential reading for people who love (and hate) The Times."--Gay Talese

"A large window into the inner workings of one of the country's premier institutions...enlightening as it is entertaining."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Superbly written, with integrity and elegance."--Elie Wiesel

"A magnificent memoir of coming of age amidst the vibrancy and kaleidoscopic life of America's greatest city, seen from the perspective of a brilliant career on our greatest newspaper. City Room is a grand read."--Neil Sheehan

"A sense of intelligent innocence permeates this affectionate memoir."--Pete Hamill

"Rich with personalities."--The New Yorker

About the Author

Arthur Gelb began as a copy boy at the New York Times in 1944 and went on to play a major role at the paper until his retirement in 1989, serving as a critic, chief cultural correspondent, metropolitan editor, deputy managing editor and managing editor. With his wife, Barbara, he also authored two definitive and acclaimed biographies of the playwright Eugene O'Neill.