ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the keyconcepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book attempts to illuminate the insights that oral testimonies can offer to the urban historian. This book offers rare insights into the minds and strategies of individuals as they sought to cope with the challenges of urban life as they experienced it. Unlike The Myths We Live By. Samuel and P. Thompson, The Myths We Live By based on papers presented at the Sixth International Oral History Conference on Myth and History, Oxford September 1987 in which recorded life stories based on the memories of Australian soldiers, Swedish concentration camp survivors, native American storytellers, and Italian school children provided insights into recent memory and transient myths, Testimonies of the City addresses the stark realities and perceptions of urban life. The systematic and sensitive acknowledgment by each author of their methods is evident throughout the book.
