The Roaring Twenties in New York was a time of exuberant ambition,
free-flowing optimism, an explosion of artistic expression in the age of
Prohibition. New York was the city that embodied the spirit and strength
of a newly powerful America.
In 1924, in the vibrant heart of Manhattan, a fierce rivalry was born.
Two architects, William Van Alen and Craig Severance (former friends and
successful partners, but now bitter adversaries), set out to imprint
their individual marks on the greatest canvas in the world--the rapidly
evolving skyline of New York City. Each man desired to build the city's
tallest building, or 'skyscraper.' Each would stop at nothing to outdo
his rival.
Van Alen was a creative genius who envisioned a bold, contemporary
building that would move beyond the tired architecture of the previous
century. By a stroke of good fortune he found a larger-than-life patron
in automobile magnate Walter Chrysler, and they set out to build the
legendary Chrysler building. Severance, by comparison, was a brilliant
businessman, and he tapped his circle of downtown, old-money investors
to begin construction on the Manhattan Company Building at 40 Wall
Street.
From ground-breaking to bricklaying, Van Alen and Severance fought a
cunning duel of wills. Each man was forced to revamp his architectural
design in an attempt to push higher, to overcome his rival in
mid-construction, as the structures rose, floor by floor, in record
time. Yet just as the battle was underway, a third party entered the
arena and announced plans to build an even larger building. This project
would be overseen by one of Chrysler's principal rivals--a
representative of the General Motors group--and the building ultimately
became known as The Empire State Building.
Infused with narrative thrills and perfectly rendered historical and
engineering detail, Higher brings to life a sensational episode in
American history. Author Neal Bascomb interweaves characters such as Al
Smith and Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt, leading up to an
astonishing climax that illustrates one of the most ingenious (and
secret) architectural achievements of all time.
