Metropolis

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

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

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

John Gapper, Financial Times

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

[A] fascinating history of cities.

James Marriott, The Times

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

Daniel Lewis, Arts Desk

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

Ape to Gentleman

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