"In Waterfront Manhattan, Schlichting has woven an impressive narrative which is sure to shed light on this underappreciated aspect of New York City history."—Erin Becker, Long Island Maritime Museum, Global Maritime History

"This is an important book. There is much to ponder on the future of New York City's harbor, encompassing all five of the city's boroughs and also New Jersey's shoreline."—Evelyn Gonzalez, William Paterson University, Journal of American History

"This book will command serious and broad attention. A worthy successor to Schlichting's first two books, which made important contributions to the history of New York City and transportation history. I enthusiastically recommend it."—Clifton Hood, author of In Pursuit of Privilege: A History of New York City's Upper Class and the Making of a Metropolis

"Anyone with an interest in New York City will want to read this book. Schlichting succeeds admirably in describing the evolution of Manhattan's waterfront through the past several centuries—so far as I know there is no published work of such scope and richness. It will also be a valuable addition to courses on urban history, urban planning, and role of civil engineering in changing cities and society."—Jameson W. Doig, author of Empire on the Hudson: Entrepreneurial Vision and Political Power at the Port of New York Authority

"Waterfront Manhattan is a great book. It explains, better than any other volume I've read, why New York became a great metropolis. Schlichting vividly brings to life the stories of the men and women who made that greatness possible—from international financiers to longshoremen and sailors. It is sure to remain the definitive account of New York's waterfront world for years to come."—Tyler Anbinder, author of City of Dreams: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York

"Schlichting's Waterfront Manhattan deftly weaves myriad historical sources—census rolls, shipping timetables, maps, government reports—into a complex narrative radiating from Manhattan's shoreline, unfolding across space and time, at scales from local to global. It's a critical new telling of the city's frenetic historical geography."—Matthew Knutzen, The New York Public Library

"An exceptionally important and riveting study of Manhattan and its relations to its waterfront over the years."—Andrew A. Beveridge, coeditor of New York and Los Angeles: The Uncertain Future