This picture of New York at its zenith, in 1945, describes the arrival of 14,000 American servicemen and women after the end of World War II. Disembarking, as it were, with the GIs we see the city through their eyes and get the full impact of the excitement and hope that abounded in that year. The characters of the city at that time - Jackson Pollock, Mayor La Guardia, Robert Moses, and many not so famous - are portrayed. Jan Morris is the author of Pax Britannica, Spain, Venice, Oxford and several other books.