[Fbone]

Naked City II: A photo portrait of New York City by Nick Migliore
http://www.amazon.com/Naked-City-II-...rds=naked+city

Naked City II is a raw, unvarnished, photo portrait of New York City. It contains over 300 photos and 24 short stories spanning the last 50 years. It is the story of a great city in decline, led by a series of hapless mayors, who were totally out of their depths. It is also about recovery and redemption as a new sheriff comes to town and cleans up the mess. In between, we see the average citizens trying to cope as best they can, as the city they love comes apart at the seams.
Seen through the eyes of a young boy growing up in Brooklyn, you’ll follow him on his trips to “the city,” where he pursues his hobby of street photography. He begins by stalking thugs as they commit brazen robberies in broad daylight, in the middle of crowded streets. You will see the police do their best to stem the growing crime problem. The chapters on Times Square and 42nd Street, contain some of the best police action shots you’re likely to see anywhere.
However, it’s not all gloom and doom. Displaying the resiliency that New Yorkers are famous for, they still find time to enjoy life’s small pleasures. Much of this book is quite light-hearted, with many funny moments as the city slowly recovers. As the decades pass, the problems change, and the people of New York adjust to the realities of sharing the city, with more and more homeless people. This subject is handled quite openly, without “kid gloves.” Other sensitive topics such as race relations and crime are given similar treatment.
Towards the end of the book, the young boy is now an old man, but he still goes out shooting whenever he can. One of the last chapters is about the Occupy Wall Street movement. This book also contains almost two dozen short stories. They are funny and sad, poignant and tragic. No flowery language here. The writing is direct and blunt, like a nightstick to the head.
Naked City II will appeal to New York City tourists, and to natives alike, or to anyone who just loves to watch people. However, it’s not suitable for children under 12, and the politically correct.