Condensing centuries of history into one volume, "Cities of the
World "traces the historic form and special character of the
world's greatest cities through a breathtaking collection of maps
and panoramic views. Peter Whitfield focuses on more than sixty
cities--from Athens to Brasilia, Washington to Moscow, San
Francisco to Saigon, and Venice to Lhasa. He presents an extremely
wide range of maps, historic prints, and photographs from many
periods that show how the architectural form and the social life of
our cities have been shaped--not only by their geographical
setting, but also by religion, royal power, commerce, social
ideals, and occasionally artistic vision. These images illustrate
the historic heart of the cities: the ancient harbors, the hilltop
fortresses, the encircling walls, and the houses, churches, and
palaces that have been added over the centuries. For the armchair
traveler or anyone passionate about the history of human
civilization, this beautiful, unique book captures the richness of
the urban fabric and reflects the collective memory of each
metropolis.
"Cities of the World "demonstrates how the city was linked to the
birth and progress of civilization itself, how it has acted as a
focus for ideas and technologies, arts and sciences, and even
religious devotion. It shows the ways that some cities grew slowly
into haphazard, unplanned beauties, while others were shaped by the
will of masterful individuals. Whitfield chose the cities featured
here not only because they are richly and beautifully illustrated,
but also because they demonstrate a notion of spirit--an outward
and inward uniqueness.
Many of these historic maps have a pictorial quality that vanished
long ago from the functional town-plan. Depicting the classical
city-state, the medieval fortress, the baroque capital, and the
industrial metropolis, the sumptuous illustrations in this book
chronicle how simple outlines found on Babylonian clay tablets
evolved into the stylized pictures of medieval times and
spectacular bird's-eye panoramic views, finally culminating in the
highly functional mass-produced maps of the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries. Wonderfully evocative of the places they
depict and the artistic tastes of their time, these maps shed new
light on civilization itself, with all of its contradictions,
shortcomings, energy, and aspirations.
"Copub: British Library "
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