Kim Phillips-Fein

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Fear City by Kim Phillips-Fein
Fear City by KIM PHILLIPS-FEIN

In paperback April 2018

Fear City

An epic and riveting history of New York City on the edge of disaster—and an anatomy of the politics of austerity that continues to shape the world today

• a Pulitzer Prize finalist for history
• Fear City is one of Kirkus Review's Best American History Books for 2017 
• Fear City is an Amazon Best History Book for 2017
• Fear City is one of Publisher's Weekly's top ten books for 2017
• Fear City is a Publishers Weekly pick of the month
• Fear City was named one of Amazon's top ten best nonfiction books for April 2017!
• Fear City is a Publishers Weekly Staff Pick

When the news broke in 1975 that New York City was on the brink of fiscal collapse, few believed it was possible: how could the capital of the financial world go bankrupt? And yet the city was billions of dollars in the red. Bankers and politicians alike seized upon the situation as evidence that New York’s famous social liberalism was doomed to failure--and promised apocalyptic scenarios if the city didn't fire thousands of workers, freeze wages, and slash social services.

In this vivid, gripping account, historian Kim Phillips-Fein tells the remarkable story of the crisis that engulfed the city, transforming the largest metropolis in the United States and reshaping ideas about government throughout the country. In doing so, she brings to life a radically different New York, the legendarily decrepit city of the 1970s. Drawing on never-before-used archival sources as well as interviews with key players in the crisis, Phillips-Fein guides us through the hairpin turns and sudden reversals that brought New York City to the edge of bankruptcy--and kept it from going over.

ADVANCE PRAISE

"Fear City helps sheds much-needed light on a range of contemporary crises, from the starvation of public services amidst enormous private wealth to the rise of Donald Trump. Kim Phillips-Fein is a historian of the first order."

—Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything

2017-02-01T02:32:31+00:00

—Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything

"Fear City helps sheds much-needed light on a range of contemporary crises, from the starvation of public services amidst enormous private wealth to the rise of Donald Trump. Kim Phillips-Fein is a historian of the first order."
“Fear City provides the definitive account of the moment when New York City liberalism ran out of momentum and money, and the conservative reaction that has culminated in Donald Trump began.”

—Joshua B. Freeman, author of American Empire and Working-Class New York

2017-02-01T02:33:47+00:00

—Joshua B. Freeman, author of American Empire and Working-Class New York

“Fear City provides the definitive account of the moment when New York City liberalism ran out of momentum and money, and the conservative reaction that has culminated in Donald Trump began.”
“This revealing narrative of New York’s transformation from working-class social democracy to the glittering home of fancy finance reminds us that behind the mask of austerity there always lurks a bitter politics of class.”

—James K. Galbraith, author of The Predator State and Welcome to the Poisoned Chalice

2017-02-01T02:34:12+00:00

—James K. Galbraith, author of The Predator State and Welcome to the Poisoned Chalice

“This revealing narrative of New York’s transformation from working-class social democracy to the glittering home of fancy finance reminds us that behind the mask of austerity there always lurks a bitter politics of class.”
"This is the story of how the gears were shifted and the age of liberalism put into reverse, told with all the engrossing details, all the forgotten characters, and a memorable style.”

—Tom Frank, author of What’s the Matter with Kansas? and Listen, Liberal

2017-02-01T02:35:24+00:00

—Tom Frank, author of What’s the Matter with Kansas? and Listen, Liberal

"This is the story of how the gears were shifted and the age of liberalism put into reverse, told with all the engrossing details, all the forgotten characters, and a memorable style.”
“New Yorkers pride themselves on being cosmopolitan, on welcoming immigrants, on being willing to spend money on education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Kim Philips-Fein convincingly explains why that caused problems for the city in the past and why now we need New York values more than ever.”

—Joseph E. Stiglitz, author of Globalization and Its Discontents and The Price of Inequality

2017-02-23T21:40:01+00:00

—Joseph E. Stiglitz, author of Globalization and Its Discontents and The Price of Inequality

“New Yorkers pride themselves on being cosmopolitan, on welcoming immigrants, on being willing to spend money on education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Kim Philips-Fein convincingly explains why that caused problems for the city in the past and why now we need New York values more than ever.”