Talkin’ Greenwich Village

". . . a teeming history of Greenwich Village. . . . Steeped in music culture and lore, Browne offers a detailed, abundantly populated chronicle of a storied place and its creative, outspoken, driven inhabitants."

"Evocative prose enlivens this captivating ode to a storied chapter of pop culture history."

“There have been numerous Greenwich Villages over the decades, several of them extant at any one time. David Browne knows them all, block by block, but he also knows their tales, told and untold, especially the musical ones, which his book divulges with unsentimental sympathy. It’s an amazing account of a singular place, a treat for every Villager whether in fact or in spirit.”

“Deeply researched and deftly written, this entertaining chronicle of the Village music scene sheds light on groundbreaking performative genres: from the Beats’ spoken word to new forms of jazz, from the evolution of folk to plugged-in blues rock and punk. In the back rooms and on makeshift stages of coffeehouses and nightclubs, eccentricity and creativity flourish, while threats from city (and FBI) officials and disgruntled neighbors constantly hover. It’s a fascinating story!”

“Talkin' Greenwich Village maps a matrix of artistry spanning generations and genres, with special focus on the ‘folk revival’ that launched Dylan and continues to revive itself in new shapes. You want to understand how deep and wide New York music history is? You need to spend time here.”

“For most of the 20th century, Greenwich Village existed as a liberating antidote to mainstream American society. David Browne’s Talkin’ Greenwich Village is a masterful, incisive recounting of the fertile creative life south of 14th St. that transmitted cultural alternatives to the nation and the world.”

“I was one of countless Midwestern kids who grew up fantasizing about Greenwich Village, and David Browne reminded me why. Talkin’ Greenwich Village is a cultural, social, and—above all—musical history of the fabled neighborhood that’s known around the world as Ground Zero for generations of beatniks, hippies, and misfits. Thoroughly reported and lovingly told, Browne’s book chronicles the evolution of America’s bohemian paradise.”

“Not just a crackerjack music writer, David Browne is also a sharp-eyed cultural historian and social critic, and it's this combination of virtues that makes Talkin’ Greenwich Village such a bracing read. Browne's story of New York's folk and jazz communities, and the interwoven lives of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday and Shawn Colvin, among so many others, describes not just the music but the countercultural spirit that enlivened and then altered the course of American culture.”

"For anyone who has ever spent time wandering the streets of Greenwich Village, Talkin’ Greenwich Village by David Browne is like stepping back in time. It revisits the places and moments that made this small area in downtown New York so legendary. Greenwich Village has always been a haven for artists, rebels, and visionaries, and Browne captures the essence of that spirit beautifully... Ultimately, Talkin’ Greenwich Village is more than just a music scene history—it’s a tribute to a place that has inspired generations of artists and continues to do so today. Whether you’ve spent time in the Village or just discovered its magic, this book will make you feel like you’re walking down MacDougal Street, soaking in the creative energy that has always defined Greenwich Village. Browne’s engaging writing style and thorough research make this a must-read for anyone who loves music, history, or just a good story about a place that has shaped many lives, including mine."

"A thorough and thoroughly human history of a unique locale and era."

“Browne leaves few stones unturned to present a panoramic vision of this music mecca.”

“Expertly told, packed with head-turning detail and local color.”

“Fascinating and meticulously researched”

“Sprawling yet intimate … colorful and exquisitely detailed”

"Browne gives valuable insight into the people – such as Van Ronk – who are not necessarily household names, yet heavily influenced the Village social scene's look, feel, and sound…"

“Endless wonderful stories and a few elegiac sentences that can stick in your mind … One of the great virtues of David Browne’s book is that it will, courtesy of the phone in your hand, take you back to songs you might not have heard for decades, or lead you to listen to the music he writes about for the first time.”

“Browne’s book is akin to the Laurel Canyon books and documentaries about the Los Angeles scene so popular in recent years … A rich read you won’t be able to put down.”

“There’s been a lot of books about New York City, but only a few capture the elusive flavor of the Big Apple like Joseph Mitchell’s Up in the Old Hotel, Patti Smith’s Just Kids, Herbert Asbury’s The Gangs of New York or Robert A. Caro’s The Power Broker. You can now add David Browne’s stunning Talkin’ Greenwich Village to that list.  … His unerring reportage always reads like a good novel. His attention-to-detail is impeccable. And his insight is well-earned.”

"Browne weaves a tale of perseverance and resistance, of energetic upstarts simply seeking a space to exist."

 "Through an abundance of meticulous research and interviews, Browne conjures up a real sense of what such a breeding ground was like in the 1960s."

"[A] brilliantly-detailed history of a unique urban space... [and a] well-crafted chronology."

"Browne expertly captures the spirit of what has always seemed the coolest neighborhood in the history of the world. He is a sensitive but not starstruck observer, who finds equal fascination in the rise of the place’s mystique as in its sad, but perhaps inevitable, decline."

"Browne’s look into the neighborhood’s history shows how this iconic Manhattan spot still fuels creativity and inspiration today."

“Talkin’ Greenwich Village is impeccably researched, elegantly written and consistently fascinating."

“A captivating saga... Talkin' Greenwich Village could make even a casual reader yearn to have been at Cafe Society when Billie Holiday first sang 'Strange Fruit', at the Gaslight when Dylan premiered 'A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall' and at the Five Spot when John Coltrane was playing with Thelonius Monk.”

“Browne deftly chronicles the New York City folk scene at joints like Folk City, the Gaslight and Cafe Au Go Go and such artists as Dave Van Ronk, the Roches and, of course, Dylan. … an insightful, skillfully written history.”

"Welcome and useful. Browne treats the dizzying cast of legendary characters and historic events with cinematic care, taking readers on a journey beyond the stereotypes and parodies of one of our most impactful music burghs.”

“A true tour de force in tale and task …  Browne leaves no artist uncovered or geographical location ignored along the way, using vivid and haunting verbal images as sacred ground for the center of America’s hidden but precious psyche.”