Strike Up the Band

A spirited chronicle of the Roaring Twenties in New York City . . . A combination of immigration, energy, speculation and an effective system of backhanders meant that now, after the dreary years of the war and the Spanish flu, almost anything could get done. Strike Up the Band tells the story of those years, roaming over the city then dropping down to the streets, through the doors of hotels, nightclubs, shady restaurants and civil institutions to examine, in chapters themed by activity, all the novelties of the day. The buildings were new and so were the drinks, the dances, the entertainments and the people, as millions of Jewish, Irish and European immigrants, in addition to black Americans coming from southern states, fled the limitations of their birthplaces to make lives where you could at least hope for better. * Daily Telegraph *
Crisp and Stewart serve up a delicious taste of what was a special time in a distinguished place: the 1920s in New York City. Their book shows that much of today's New York skyline and vibe has origins in the 1920s. For example, in 1928, the original location of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Fifth Avenue was sold for an estimated $20 million and demolished to make space for the Empire State Building; its construction began in 1930. In this book, the authors' special gift is their ability to bring flavor to the period by invoking the jazz scene, speakeasies, and tenement conditions by utilizing great sensory details. They have a knack for finding the right details to illuminate the ethos of the era, whether it is the specifics of the art deco design of the Chrysler Building, where construction started in 1929, or the corruption scandal involving Mayor Jimmy Walker. Highly recommended. . . . For general readers seeking a broad understanding of the decade and New York or scholars needing a reference point for this combustible era. * Library Journal *
The great Art Deco monuments of New York still define the city’s look, even as they reach their 100th anniversaries. But they didn’t just happen to show up in the aftermath of the First World War - they are products of the Roaring Twenties, one of the most colorful, if somewhat mythical, decades of the city’s history. Strike up the Band is a fast-paced romp through that remarkable period, from speakeasies, literary hang-outs, flappers, and skyscrapers to the Harlem Renaissance, the Yiddish Rialto, and Tammany Hall politics. Hang on to your hats! * Anthony W. Robins, author of New York Art Deco: A Guide to Gotham’s Jazz Age Architecture *