Ten Cities that Led the World, Paul Strathern
Ten Cities that Led the World, Paul Strathern
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Ten Cities that Led the World
From Ancient Foundations to Modern Powerhouses – a remarkable history

Author: Paul Strathern

Narrator: Elliot Fitzpatrick

Unabridged: 8 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/10/2022


Synopsis

Great cities are complex, chaotic and colossal. These are cities that dominate the world stage and define eras; where ideas flourish, revolutions are born and history is made.

Through ten unique cities, from the founding of ancient capitals to buzzing modern megacities, Paul Strathern explores how urban centres lead civilisation forward, enjoying a moment of glory before passing on the baton.

We journey back to discover Babylonian mathematics, Athenian theatre and intellectual debate, and Roman construction that has lasted millennia. We see Constantinople evolve into Istanbul, revolutionary sparks fly in Enlightenment Paris, and the railways, canals and ships that built Imperial London. In Moscow men build spaceships while other men starve, New York's skyscrapers rise up to a soundtrack of jazz, Mumbai becomes home to immense wealth and poverty, and Beijing's economic transformation leads the way.

Each city has its own distinct personality, and Ten Cities that Led the World brings their rich and diverse histories to life, reminding us of the foundations we have built on and how our futures will be shaped.

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

About Paul Strathern

Paul Strathern is the author of numerous books about science, history, philosophy and literature, including two series, Philosophers in 90 Minutes and The Big Idea: Scientists Who Changed the World, and the Sunday Times bestseller The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance. He also won a Somerset Maugham award for his novel A Season in Abyssinia. He formerly lectured in philosophy and mathematics at Kingston University. He lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Fatima

Only title is catchy.Well, the table of contents forced me to read it.I was expecting the history of cities how they developed with perspective of geography, anthropology and architecture. But I am disappointed. There is nothing new in it if you know world history. Well , I don't recommend this book......more

Goodreads review by Alex

Interesting concept, but falls down in the execution. The writing is clunky and there are many fact checking errors/typos. The cover writes cheques the book can’t cash.......more

Goodreads review by Cíara

Some parts are not historically accurate. Interesting concept, some beautiful use of language but then it becomes a bit more like a list.......more

Goodreads review by Amy

Good concept, lacklustre execution. In this book, Strathern chooses ten cities that 'led the world' and writes short biographies for each. In my opinion, Strathern opts for the 'obvious' choices - such as Greece (democracy), Rome (Roman empire), London (British empire), Moscow (communism). Although i......more