In the Country of Brooklyn

August 25, 2008
Brooklynites of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds tell their stories in this oral history of the newly hip New York borough of Brooklyn. Boxer Peter Spanakos, son of Greek immigrants, tells how his brother caught Peter’s Olympic teammate Muhammad Ali drinking out of a bidet in their Rome hotel room. Newspaper columnist Pete Hamill talks about the optimism that defined working-class Brooklyn after WWII. Dave Radens’s Muslim mother never spoke to him again after he married a Jew, and when the eminent black scholar John Hope Franklin became head of Brooklyn College’s history department in 1956. he faced white hostility while looking for a house near campus. Golenbock wrote Bums
, an oral history of the Dodgers, and several of his interviewees rhapsodize over the team and Jackie Robinson. Locals will notice that Golenbock lets politicians and developers cheerlead for the controversial Atlantic Yards development while giving short shrift to the opposition. Many of these stories are engrossing and authentic, but also unfocused and rambling. The dearth of female interviewees and younger Brooklynites may limit the book’s appeal. Photos.

October 1, 2008
In this reviewer's opinion, to call Brooklyn a country is no misnomer. New York City's most populous borough has specialized in exporting American ideals in their purest form for nearly 100 years. Inspired by the acceptance of baseball great Jackie Robinson in Brooklyn, Golenbock ("Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers") crafted this mesmerizing valentine to some 40 Brooklyn-born men and women who have furthered the cause of free speech and equal rights. Notables like Neil Sedaka and Pete Hamill tell their stories, but the most captivating narratives come from the mainly unknown writers, teachers, soldiers, and activists who took a stand against bigotry in the United States and abroad. Says Lester Rodney, who broke ground with his coverage of the Negro Leagues in the Communist Party USA paper, "The Daily Worker", "One of the first things we tried to do was shoot down the notion that white players wouldn't stand [for integration]." Golenbock makes no secret of his disdain for the current Bush administration, but his book isn't partisan in the blindly allegiant senseit's just a passionate reminder of what has historically made this country beautiful. Read it and weep, kiddies. [See "Fall Editors' Picks," "LJ" 9/1/08; McCormack was born in the Midwest but is now a Brooklynite.Ed.]Heather McCormack, "Library Journal"

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2008
Beginning and endingat Coney Island, Golenbocks nearly 700-page history of Brooklyn spans the decades and scours the diverse neighborhoods for unsung heroes, riveting events, and famous legends, truly capturing the spirit of this incredible city. With a distinctively leftist political slant, the book enlightens readers with street-level commentary on the city that holds roots for nearly one of every five Americans. Home to Jews, Italians, Irish, Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and countless other groups, each wedded to its own history, Brooklyn brought the beloved Jackie Robinson to fame but was also the setting for some of the most heated segregation battles and most bitter racial tensions in the country. Golenbock unfurls little-known facts about the boroughMargaret Sangers first birth-control clinic was founded in Brooklynwhile setting it squarely on the stage of American history, enmeshed in waves of immigration, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, redevelopment, and the current real-estate boom. The author of Bums (1984), an oral history of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Golenbock successfully extends his reach to the entire borough, and the result will both fascinate amateur historians and entertain general readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)