Better than most “epic sagas”, New York begins in the 15th Century with the Dutch and the Indians and ends with the fall of the World Trade Center.  The story traces various families representing old money, new money, illegal money, etc.  The focus is on New York as the financial center of the world, not just the U.S.  

The stories around the various financial crises provided insights on the role of J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt and others who knew that several New York financial institutions were “too big to fail” long before our debacle beginning in 2008.  They appear to have been right.  

There are adequate maps to use as Rutherfurd pulls the story from Downtown to Uptown following Manhattan’s development.  The growth of the boroughs is included, but the focus is Manhattan.  

The Masters family are the main characters—old money going back to the Dutch, who evolve into new money as they change with the times.  Nice characters, well drawn.  

Recommended for those who can deal with a book of 860 pages!