Each of the images selected and sequenced by the author for this book may be found in The Archives, University College, Oxford, under the heading Photographs and Papers of Michael George (b.1943) www.univ.ox.ac.uk/about/archives/ In a succession of images of great formal elegance, arranged to be seen in their given sequence, well-known photographer and author Michael George delivers an intimate insider's view of America's greatest city in the gilded, often egregious eighties. Although he was born in Cardiff, Wales, New York was where Michael George started his career as a professional imager, gaining early recognition for what Grace Glueck, Art News Editor, The New York Times, praised as his "striking, beautifully composed architectural close-ups in both colour and black-and-white". An adept at photographing people unawares, and with a passion for accurate observation, Michael George provides a composite portrayal of New Yorkers, the embodiment of the true spirit of New York, in a stunning series of compelling originality, both candid and posed, seen against a backdrop of the built environment, featuring striking studies of the city's public sculpture and - another of the photographer's favourite subjects - soaring skyscrapers, such as the iconic Art Deco spires of the Chrysler and Empire State landmark buildings. Michael George's first book on his adoptive city, New York Today, a collection of 151 photographs in colour, was launched with a reception on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, 12 October 1988, hosted jointly by Abrams, the publisher, and Olympus Corporation America. In a letter to the author, Donald J. Trump, President, The Trump Organization, wrote: "Dear Michael, The book, NEW YORK TODAY, is fantastic! I was impressed not only by the beautiful shot of Trump Tower on the cover, but also by the great photography throughout. I appreciate having been included in such a great project." The future President of the United States, captured this time in black and white, is among the A-listers portrayed in Eighties New York.