"A revelation of the drive and creative flux of the metropolis over time."—Nature

"This is a must-read book for any city dweller with a voracious appetite for understanding the wonders of cities and why we're so attracted to them."—Zahi Hawass, author of Hidden Treasures of Ancient Egypt
A sweeping history of cities through the millennia—from Mesopotamia to Manhattan—and how they have propelled...

Uncovering the biographies of some of the most fascinating lost and ruined buildings, an engaging compendium of 21 structures from around the globe, including The Tower of Babel, The Bastille, the Berlin Wall and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, is a unique guide to a world of vanished architecture.

In this erudite and enjoyable Los Angeles Times best-seller, Joel Kotkin explores the history of cities around the globe. He argues that urban areas must be places where there is a shared feeling of sacredness, civic identity, and moral order. These exciting concentrations of ideas and energy have long been and should continue to be meaningful in our daily lives.

Traces the development of one street from the Stone Age to the present day, from dirt track to the rebuilding of inns as wine bars, showing how people lived and what they did all day.

From the origins of urbanization in Mesopotamia to the global metropolises of today, great cities have marked the development of human civilization. "The Great Cities in History" tells their stories, from Uruk and Memphis to Tokyo and Sao Paulo. A galaxy of distinguished contributors evoke the character of each place its people, its art and architecture, its government and explain the reasons for its success. Richly illustrated with photographs, paintings,...

Examines the development and nature of the city from Egypt to Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome and the Middle Ages to the modern world.