Product Description 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 São 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, maps and plans, this volume is nothing less that a portrait of world civilization. Review [T]his collection stimulates serious reflection. Accessible, well indexed...this is not simply a reference work; the essays on each city and on each historical age are worth close reading. Highly recommended. A careful historian's vision of a man's metropolitan history. There are 68 cities here included. Each is accorded a short chapter written by contributors.... The cities under discussion range from the primordial Uruk to modern monsters like Sao Paulo, taking in, along the way, a host of conurbations from the ancient, the medieval, and the early modern periods... Packed with such savory detail, relayed by writers and historians who appear to eat, sleep and breathe their cities. The book is packed with such savory detail, relayed by writers and historians who appear to eat, sleep and breathe their cities. --Tunku Varadarajan Accessible, well indexed this is not simply a reference work; the essays on each city and on each historical age are worth close reading. Highly recommended. --Times A careful historian s vision of a man s metropolitan history. There are 68 cities here included. Each is accorded a short chapter written by contributors . The cities under discussion range from the primordial Uruk to modern monsters like Sao Paulo, taking in, along the way, a host of conurbations from the ancient, the medieval, and the early modern periods Packed with such savory detail, relayed by writers and historians who appear to eat, sleep and breathe their cities. --Guardian About the Author John Julius Norwich is the author of The Great Cities in History as well as magisterial histories of Norman Sicily, the republic of Venice, and the Byzantine Empire. He has also written widely on architecture and music, and has presented some thirty BBC television historical documentaries.
