If you have any interest at all in the Newsboy strike of 1899, life in the turn of the century New York, or the golden age of Hollywood, this is the book for you. Nasaw does a fantastic job of presenting this bygone era in such a way that it comes to life. This was definitely NOT a boring textbook read. The pictures were a great touch. I find this era very interesting and have done some of my own research. Although not all of what was covered in the book was new to me, I still got a lot out of it and appreciated reading the author's perspective. Really enjoyed reading quotes from first hand accounts such as Harpo Marx and George Burns.

The author has a slight negative tone when it comes to the reformers and those who felt they needed to "better" the lives of the children who worked and played on the streets and I strongly agree with a lot of what he says. The kids were not stupid. Sure, the streets could be a hazard but these kids knew what they were doing. In that day and age, kids grew up faster. Several of them needed to work to support their families and to take that away was hurting them far worse.

So glad I finally got to read this! Can't recommend this enough for history buffs.