Hamill's Latest Book:

Recreating 1930s New York with the vibrancy and rich detail that are his trademarks, Pete Hamill weaves a story of honor, family, and one man's simple courage that no reader will soon forget. It is 1934, and New York City is in the icy grip of the Great Depression. With enormous compassion, Dr. James Delaney tends to his hurt, sick, and poor neighbors. But in his own life, Delaney is emotionally numb. His only daughter has left for Mexico, and his wife Molly vanished months before. Then, on a snowy New Year's Day, the doctor returns home to find his three-year-old grandson on his doorstep. Coping with this unexpected arrival, Delaney hires Rose, a tough, decent Sicilian woman with a secret in her past. Slowly, as Rose and the boy begin to care for the good doctor, the numbness in Delaney begins to melt.

The Best Book to Read First:
A Drinking Life: A Memoir - Little, Brown and Company, 1994

Hamill's hard-living, hard-hitting memoir gives readers a look inside the mind and motives of this seasoned writer and diehard New Yorker -- who gradually came to realize that alcohol was ruining his life. When he finally had his last vodka one fateful New Year's Eve, he shrugged and explained, "I have no talent for it.'' According to Publishers Weekly, "It may be the only talent Hamill lacks."

A Coming-of-Age Tale with a Hearty Dose of Magical Realism:
Snow In August - Little, Brown and Company, 1997

Set in a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood in 1947, this poignant tale revolves around two of the most endearing characters in recent fiction: an eleven-year-old Irish Catholic boy named Michael Devlin who spends his days reading Captain Marvel and anticipating the arrival of Jackie Robinson, and Rabbi Judah Hirsch, a war refugee from Prague. From their initial chance encounter in a swirling blizzard one Saturday morning to the mute awe they share at first setting eyes on the hallowed grounds of Ebbets Field, Hamill brings to life the richness and complexity of this most remarkable friendship. For Michael, the rabbi's stories of ancient magic and wisdom captivate his imagination and transport him to times and places even his beloved comic book heroes have never visited. For the rabbi, Michael's patient instruction on the language of baseball and American culture opens up an equally strange and magical world.

His Kind of Town:
The Gift - Random House, 1973; Little, Brown and Company, 2005

A powerful short novel that is vintage Hamill. An evocative, emotionally involving tale of fathers and sons, loss and yearning, forgiveness and approbation (set in Brooklyn, 1952), this classic is finally restored to print.

Hamill's Hero:
Why Sinatra Matters - Little, Brown and Company, 1998

In this uniquely personal tribute -- based on conversations with Old Blue Eyes himself -- Hamill honors the legacy of fellow New Yorker Frank Sinatra and the social forces that made his work unique. Hamill observes, "all great artists help transcend the solitude of individuals; they relieve the ache of loneliness.... In their ultimate triumph over the banality of death, such artists continue to matter. So will Frank Sinatra."

A Highly Personal Essay on the State of the Modern Press:
News is a Verb - Ballantine Books, 1998

A veteran journalist takes a look at the state of news at the end of the twentieth century in this insightful essay. News is not about the craft of newspaper writing, but rather the crafting of today's papers. According to the School Library Journal, Hamill's thesis is that fatuous, celebrity-centered journalism is dumbing down America's newspapers, patronizing readers, and undermining the press's credibility. The author's ideas for correcting these problems and strengthening other aspects of the modern newspaper will interest those considering a career in journalism as well as students of current events.

A Page-Turner of a Fable:
Forever - Little, Brown and Company, December 2002

This widely praised bestseller is the magical, epic tale of an extraordinary man who arrives in New York in 1740 and remains. . . forever. Through the eyes of young Cormac O'Connor-granted immortality as long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan-we watch New York grow from a tiny settlement on the tip of an untamed wilderness to the thriving metropolis of today. And through Cormac's remarkable adventures in both love and war, we come to know all the city's buried secrets-the way it has been shaped by greed, race, and waves of immigration, by the unleashing of enormous human energies, and, above all, by hope. "Hamill is not a subtle writer, but his gift for sensual description and his tabloid muscularity fit this page turner of a fable," observed the New York Times. 2002's Forever brings Hamill's street smarts and near-encyclopedic knowledge of New York City together with his gift for spinning a story.

A Rich Historical and Personal Portrait of Manhattan:
Downtown: My Manhattan - Little, Brown and Company, December 2004

Pete Hamill brings his unique knowledge and deep love of the city to a New York chronicle like no other. During his 40 years as a newspaperman, Hamill has been getting to know Manhattan's neighborhoods and inhabitants intimately, bearing witness to their greatest triumphs and tragedies. From the winding, bohemian streets of Greenwich Village to the seedy alleyways of the meatpacking district and to the weathered cobblestones of South Street Seaport, Hamill peels back the layers of history to reveal the city's past, present, and future. More than just history or reporting, this is an elegy by a native son who has lived through some of New York's most historic moments, and who continues to call this magnificent, haunted city his home.