Metropolis

Brilliant... Enchanting... This is a history of the world told through its most buccaneering units... And it is full of quirky facts about London.

Arjun Neil Alim, Evening Standard

Bryson-esque levels of fascination and intrigue... An informative and riveting piece of work.

Ape to Gentleman

Wilson sets out to match Mumford's sweep in Metropolis, and he brilliantly synthesises the forces that make cities hum.

John Gapper, Financial Times

[A] fascinating history of cities.

James Marriott, The Times

A fascinating look at the highs and lows of inner-city living, from skyscrapers to slums.

BBC History Magazine

Compendious and fascinating... Metropolis is crammed with local colour; and what gives the historical schema its real flavour is the deviations it allows... It makes you understand why we opted for cities in the first place, and why, despite the doom and gloom, I doubt we will be quitting them any time soon.

Tim Smith-Laing, Daily Telegraph

Capacious, entertaining and rich in wondrous detail, this is a work of history that pulls off the startling feat of measuring up to the immensity of its subject matter.

Tom Holland, Literary Review

Wilson [is] an erudite, creative guide to the history of civilization through its great urban areas... He broadens the book's focus beyond the usual Western suspects... An excellent account.

Eben Shapiro, Time Magazine

[An] omnivorous, adventurous and generous history of the city... Studded with fascinating facts handled with dexterity.

Daniel Lewis, Arts Desk

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.

Robert Sullivan, New York Times Book Review

[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.

Howard Schneider, The Wall Street Journal

A supremely wide-ranging study of the world's great cities.

Dan Jones, Daily Express *Books of the Year*

[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.

New York Times Book Review