Wilson, Ben, 1980-
Metropolis : a history of the city, humankind's greatest invention / Ben Wilson. - First American edition. - xii, 442 pages : illustratons, maps, photographs ; 25 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 401-416) and index (pages 417-442).
Introduction: The Metropolitan Century. 1 Dawn of the City: Uruk, 4000-1900 BC. 2 the Garden of Eden and Sin City: Harappa and Babylon, 2000-539 BC. 3 Cosmopolis: Athens and Alexandria, 507-30 BC. 4. Imperial Megacity: Rome, 30 BC - AD 537. 5 Gastropolis: Baghdad, 537-1258. 6 Cities of War: Lübeck, 1226-1491. 7 Cities of the World: Lisbon, Malacca, Tenochtitlan, Amsterdam, 1492-1666. 8. The Sociable Metropolis: London, 1666-1820. 9. The Gates of Hell? Manchester and Chicago, 1830-1914. 10 Paris Syndrome: Paris, 1830-1914. 11 Skyscraper Souls: New York, 1899-1939. 12 Annihilation: Warsaw, 1939-45. 13 Sounds of the Suburbs: Los Angeles, 1945-99. 14 Megacity: Lagos, 1999-2020.
In a captivating tour of cities famous and forgotten, acclaimed historian Ben Wilson tells the glorious, millennia-spanning story how urban living sparked humankind's greatest innovations.
“A towering achievement. . . . Reading this book is like visiting an exhilarating city for the first time—dazzling.” —The Wall Street Journal
During the two hundred millennia of humanity’s existence, nothing has shaped us more profoundly than the city. From their very beginnings, cities created such a flourishing of human endeavor—new professions, new forms of art, worship and trade—that they kick-started civilization. Guiding us through the centuries, Wilson reveals the innovations nurtured by the inimitable energy of human beings together: civics in the agora of Athens, global trade in ninth-century Baghdad, finance in the coffeehouses of London, domestic comforts in the heart of Amsterdam, peacocking in Belle Époque Paris. In the modern age, the skyscrapers of New York City inspired utopian visions of community design, while the trees of twenty-first-century Seattle and Shanghai point to a sustainable future in the age of climate change. Page-turning, irresistible, and rich with engrossing detail, Metropolis is a brilliant demonstration that the story of human civilization is the story of cities.--backover. https://www.amazon.com/Metropolis-History-Humankinds-Greatest-Invention/dp/0385543468
9780385543460 9780385543477
City and towns --History
Metropolitan areas --Civilization --History
Cities and towns
Civilization
Social sciences
Sociology
Urban
Political science
Public policy
City planning
Urban development
HT111 / .W53 2020
Metropolis : a history of the city, humankind's greatest invention / Ben Wilson. - First American edition. - xii, 442 pages : illustratons, maps, photographs ; 25 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 401-416) and index (pages 417-442).
Introduction: The Metropolitan Century. 1 Dawn of the City: Uruk, 4000-1900 BC. 2 the Garden of Eden and Sin City: Harappa and Babylon, 2000-539 BC. 3 Cosmopolis: Athens and Alexandria, 507-30 BC. 4. Imperial Megacity: Rome, 30 BC - AD 537. 5 Gastropolis: Baghdad, 537-1258. 6 Cities of War: Lübeck, 1226-1491. 7 Cities of the World: Lisbon, Malacca, Tenochtitlan, Amsterdam, 1492-1666. 8. The Sociable Metropolis: London, 1666-1820. 9. The Gates of Hell? Manchester and Chicago, 1830-1914. 10 Paris Syndrome: Paris, 1830-1914. 11 Skyscraper Souls: New York, 1899-1939. 12 Annihilation: Warsaw, 1939-45. 13 Sounds of the Suburbs: Los Angeles, 1945-99. 14 Megacity: Lagos, 1999-2020.
In a captivating tour of cities famous and forgotten, acclaimed historian Ben Wilson tells the glorious, millennia-spanning story how urban living sparked humankind's greatest innovations.
“A towering achievement. . . . Reading this book is like visiting an exhilarating city for the first time—dazzling.” —The Wall Street Journal
During the two hundred millennia of humanity’s existence, nothing has shaped us more profoundly than the city. From their very beginnings, cities created such a flourishing of human endeavor—new professions, new forms of art, worship and trade—that they kick-started civilization. Guiding us through the centuries, Wilson reveals the innovations nurtured by the inimitable energy of human beings together: civics in the agora of Athens, global trade in ninth-century Baghdad, finance in the coffeehouses of London, domestic comforts in the heart of Amsterdam, peacocking in Belle Époque Paris. In the modern age, the skyscrapers of New York City inspired utopian visions of community design, while the trees of twenty-first-century Seattle and Shanghai point to a sustainable future in the age of climate change. Page-turning, irresistible, and rich with engrossing detail, Metropolis is a brilliant demonstration that the story of human civilization is the story of cities.--backover. https://www.amazon.com/Metropolis-History-Humankinds-Greatest-Invention/dp/0385543468
9780385543460 9780385543477
City and towns --History
Metropolitan areas --Civilization --History
Cities and towns
Civilization
Social sciences
Sociology
Urban
Political science
Public policy
City planning
Urban development
HT111 / .W53 2020