Metropolis

Reviews

"[A] towering achievement . . . Reading this book is like visiting an exhilarating city for the first time-dazzling, frazzling, sometimes both simultaneously. Metropolis teems with information and observations."
--The Wall Street Journal

"Ben Wilson takes us on an exhilarating tour of more than two dozen cities and thousands of years . . . Metropolis is a bold undertaking that makes for gripping reading."
--The New York Times Book Review

"[An] ode to cities and cosmopolitan life . . . Metropolis has the added virtue of Wilson as
an erudite, creative guide to the history of civilization through its great urban areas."
--TIME magazine

"He explores the growth, diversity and evolution of human civilisation in this enchanting and meandering book."
--The Evening Standard

"[A] sharp reminder that the metropolis is vulnerable... [Wilson] brilliantly synthesises the forces that make cities hum."
--Financial Times

"[Wilson] hops from city to city and century to century, interweaving data, primary sources, anecdotes and the arts. . . Wilson has done an admirable job wrangling his topic down to an easily digestible size."
--Star Tribune

"Historian Wilson (Empire of the Deep) offers a sweeping survey of how the rise of cities over the past 6,000 years has shaped human history. . . An amiable and well-informed tour guide, Wilson stuffs his account with intriguing arcana and analysis. Armchair travelers will be enlightened and entertained."
--Publishers Weekly

"Information rich and accessible. For history and public policy readers seeking a global vision of the impact of world cities."
--Library Journal

"Wilson has mastered a gargantuan sweep of knowledge. . . Wilson’s enthusiasm for what ancient and modern cities have done for civilization is infectious, as is his magpie approach to various subjects under discussion . . . impeccably crafted."
--Highbrow Magazine Expand reviews