Once in a Great City - by David Maraniss (Paperback)

Once in a Great City is a captivating book that takes readers on an unforgettable journey through Detroit's heyday, a time of uncommon possibility and creativity when the city produced wondrous and lasting things.

The book explores the optimism that existed during those days and the signs of major problems to come, highlighting the city's vibrant cultural and political tapestry.

With overlapping portraits of Detroiters (from politicians to musicians to auto execs), author David Maraniss creates a mosaic-like picture of the city that has the sort of intimacy and tactile emotion that Larry McMurtry brought to his depictions of the Old West, and the gritty sweep of David Simon's HBO series "The Wire." The book provides a wistful look back at an era when those cracks were only just beginning to show, and the city still seemed a place of uncommon possibility and creativity.

Maraniss's evocative book is a must-read for anyone interested in American history, politics, race, or culture.