Genoa, 'la Superba'

Download Genoa, 'la Superba' PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 1849045127
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (49 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Genoa, 'la Superba' by : Nicholas Walton

Download or read book Genoa, 'la Superba' written by Nicholas Walton and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tells the story of Genoa's journey from obscurity to its status as a merchant-pirate superpower that helped create the medieval world

The Life, Travels, and Literary Career of Bayard Taylor (Classic Reprint)

Download The Life, Travels, and Literary Career of Bayard Taylor (Classic Reprint) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : BEYOND BOOKS HUB
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Life, Travels, and Literary Career of Bayard Taylor (Classic Reprint) by : Russell H. Conwell

Download or read book The Life, Travels, and Literary Career of Bayard Taylor (Classic Reprint) written by Russell H. Conwell and published by BEYOND BOOKS HUB. This book was released on 2018-03-17 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Life, Travels, and Literary Career of Bayard Taylor The author cannot do less than acknowledge, in this place, his great obligations to the father and mother of Mr. Taylor, to Mrs. Annie Carey, his sister, and to Dr. Franklin Taylor, his cousin, for their generous courtesy and most important assistance in gathering the facts for this volume. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Purgation and Purgatory

Download Purgation and Purgatory PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Paulist Press
ISBN 13 : 9780809122073
Total Pages : 186 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (22 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Purgation and Purgatory by : Saint Catherine (of Genoa)

Download or read book Purgation and Purgatory written by Saint Catherine (of Genoa) and published by Paulist Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Catherine (1447-1510), a married lay woman, was a mystic and a humanitarian, and a constant contemplative who cared for the sick and destitute. Purgation and Purgatory is a collection of sayings on spiritual purification in this life and the next. The Spiritual Dialogue gives us a readable and coherent inner history of Catherine.

Genoa and the Genoese, 958-1528

Download Genoa and the Genoese, 958-1528 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN 13 : 9780807849927
Total Pages : 420 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (499 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Genoa and the Genoese, 958-1528 by : Steven A. Epstein

Download or read book Genoa and the Genoese, 958-1528 written by Steven A. Epstein and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of Genoa, tracing the city's transformation from an obscure port into the capital of a small but thriving republic with an extensive overseas empire. Covering six centuries, the text interweaves political events, economic trends, social conditions and cultural accomplishments.

The Republic of Genoa

Download The Republic of Genoa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 : 9781098706869
Total Pages : 48 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (68 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Republic of Genoa by : Charles River Editors

Download or read book The Republic of Genoa written by Charles River Editors and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "Can we ascribe the stability and wisdom of the Venetian government, through so many ages, to any thing but the form of government? And is it not easy to point out those defects in the original constitution, which produced the tumultuous governments of Athens and Rome, and ended at last in the ruin of these two famous republics? And so little dependance has this affair on the humours and education of particular men, that one part of the same republic may be wisely conducted, and another weakly, by the same men, merely on account of the difference of the forms and institutions, by which these parts are regulated. Historians inform us that this was actually the case of Genoa. For while the state was always full of sedition, and tumult, and disorder, the bank of St. George, which had become a considerable part of the people, was conducted, for several ages, with the utmost integrity and wisdom." - David Hume If Venice, Florence, and Rome are the top three, they are often followed by Pisa, Sienna, and Naples, not to mention the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. Indeed, Genoa would come towards the end of a much longer list, and it might be most closely associated with its famous native son, Christopher Columbus, who ultimately sailed for Spain. For avid tourists, Genoa might be the port of call for those wishing to visit the stunning Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast nearby, and for an expert in world politics, the city of Genoa might recall the memories of the tragic events of the 27th G8 summit in July 2001, when, at the height of the anti-globalization movement, protests turned violent and resulted in the death of a 23-year-old Carlo Giuliani. In today's news, Genoa might represent Italy's crumbling infrastructure and the apparent powerlessness of its government to repair it - on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, one of the main bridges of the city, the Morandi Bridge, collapsed, killing 43 people and leaving 600 homeless. The bridge's demise also destroyed Italy's reputation as an expert in mechanical engineering. Although Genoa cannot compete in the popular imagination with some of Italy's more famous cities, this busy port town perched above the sea once boasted a powerful empire that rivaled that of Venice. It also lasted for roughly the same time period, rising in the early Middle Ages and coming to an end at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte near the end of the 18th century. Beyond its own success, the city's position at the head of the Mediterranean gave it an important strategic location from which to observe Italian and European history, as well as the world beyond. Today, historians are starting to correct the imbalance that has focused on Venice, Florence and Rome, and new histories are gradually introducing Genoa to the world, even as much remains to be uncovered. The Republic of Genoa: The History of the Italian City that Became Influential across the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages examines the highs and lows of Genoa La Superba ("The Proud"), including its humble origins in the 1st century CE, its felicitous rise after the fall of the Roman Empire, its golden age as a mercantile power during the "Genoese Century," and its demise at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Genoa like never before.

Urban Legends

Download Urban Legends PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penn State Press
ISBN 13 : 0271037660
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (71 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Urban Legends by : Carrie E. Benes

Download or read book Urban Legends written by Carrie E. Benes and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1250 and 1350, numerous Italian city-states jockeyed for position in a cutthroat political climate. Seeking to legitimate and ennoble their autonomy, they turned to ancient Rome for concrete and symbolic sources of identity. Each city-state appropriated classical symbols, ancient materials, and Roman myths to legitimate its regime as a logical successor to&—or continuation of&—Roman rule. In Urban Legends, Carrie Bene&š illuminates this role of the classical past in the construction of late medieval Italian urban identity.

Seven Ages of Paris

Download Seven Ages of Paris PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 : 0804151695
Total Pages : 833 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (41 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Seven Ages of Paris by : Alistair Horne

Download or read book Seven Ages of Paris written by Alistair Horne and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2013-11-20 with total page 833 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this luminous portrait of Paris, the celebrated historian gives us the history, culture, disasters, and triumphs of one of the world’s truly great cities. While Paris may be many things, it is never boring. From the rise of Philippe Auguste through the reigns of Henry IV and Louis XIV (who abandoned Paris for Versailles); Napoleon’s rise and fall; Baron Haussmann’s rebuilding of Paris (at the cost of much of the medieval city); the Belle Epoque and the Great War that brought it to an end; the Nazi Occupation, the Liberation, and the postwar period dominated by de Gaulle--Horne brings the city’s highs and lows, savagery and sophistication, and heroes and villains splendidly to life. With a keen eye for the telling anecdote and pivotal moment, he portrays an array of vivid incidents to show us how Paris endures through each age, is altered but always emerges more brilliant and beautiful than ever. The Seven Ages of Paris is a great historian’s tribute to a city he loves and has spent a lifetime learning to know. "Knowledgeable and colorful, written with gusto and love.... [An] ambitious and skillful narrative that covers the history of Paris with considerable brio and fervor." —LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK REVIEW

A Companion to Medieval Genoa

Download A Companion to Medieval Genoa PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9004360611
Total Pages : 588 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (43 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A Companion to Medieval Genoa by :

Download or read book A Companion to Medieval Genoa written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2018-03-12 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Companion to Medieval Genoa introduces non-specialists to recent scholarship on the vibrant and source-rich medieval history of Genoa. Focusing mostly on the eleventh to fifteenth centuries, the volume positions the city of Genoa and the Genoese within the broader history of the Italian peninsula and the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages. Thematic contributions highlight the interdependence of local, regional, and international concerns, and serve as a helpful corrective to the traditional overemphasis of Florence and Venice in the English-language historiography of medieval Italy. The volume thus offers a fresh perspective on the history of medieval Italy—as well as a handy introduction to the riches of the Genoese archives—to undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars in related fields. Contributors are Ross Balzaretti, Carrie E. Beneš, Denise Bezzina, Roberta Braccia, Luca Filangieri, George L. Gorse, Paola Guglielmotti, Thomas Kirk, Sandra Macchiavello, Merav Mack, Jeffrey Miner, Rebecca Müller, Antonio Musarra, Sandra Origone, Giovanna Petti Balbi, Valeria Polonio, Gervase Rosser, Antonella Rovere, Stefan Stantchev, and Carlo Taviani.

Genoa, the Superb

Download Genoa, the Superb PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9780282101435
Total Pages : 392 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (14 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Genoa, the Superb by : Virginia W. Johnson

Download or read book Genoa, the Superb written by Virginia W. Johnson and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2017-05-27 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Genoa, the Superb: The City of Columbus Annali della Repubblica bv Giustiniani; La Storia dell' Antica Liguria e de Genova, by Girolamo Serra; N uova Istoria della Repubblica, by Canale Genovesi, Veneziane, e Pisani, Storia delle Ioro navigazione, by Fanucci; some extracts from Caffaro's Chronicles; Ranke's Popes Histoire de Genes, by Vincens Gib bon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire Sismondi's Histoire des Republiques Italiennes and La Littera ture du Midi de i'europe; Villani's Firenze, and Montalembert's Les Moines de l'occident. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Book of the Damned

Download The Book of the Damned PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Library of Alexandria
ISBN 13 : 1613106424
Total Pages : 442 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (131 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Book of the Damned by : Charles Fort

Download or read book The Book of the Damned written by Charles Fort and published by Library of Alexandria. This book was released on 2020-09-28 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Time travel, UFOs, mysterious planets, stigmata, rock-throwing poltergeists, huge footprints, bizarre rains of fish and frogs-nearly a century after Charles Fort's Book of the Damned was originally published, the strange phenomenon presented in this book remains largely unexplained by modern science. Through painstaking research and a witty, sarcastic style, Fort captures the imagination while exposing the flaws of popular scientific explanations. Virtually all of his material was compiled and documented from reports published in reputable journals, newspapers and periodicals because he was an avid collector. Charles Fort was somewhat of a recluse who spent most of his spare time researching these strange events and collected these reports from publications sent to him from around the globe. This was the first of a series of books he created on unusual and unexplained events and to this day it remains the most popular. If you agree that truth is often stranger than fiction, then this book is for you"--Taken from Good Reads website.

Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures

Download Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 764 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures by : Beriah Botfield

Download or read book Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures written by Beriah Botfield and published by . This book was released on 1861 with total page 764 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures, Collected and Edited by Beriah Botfield,...

Download Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures, Collected and Edited by Beriah Botfield,... PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 764 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (7 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures, Collected and Edited by Beriah Botfield,... by : Beriah Botfield

Download or read book Prefaces to the First Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics and of the Sacred Scriptures, Collected and Edited by Beriah Botfield,... written by Beriah Botfield and published by . This book was released on 1861 with total page 764 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Methods of Desire

Download Methods of Desire PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
ISBN 13 : 0824880471
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (248 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Methods of Desire by : Aurora Donzelli

Download or read book Methods of Desire written by Aurora Donzelli and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2019-08-31 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, Indonesia has undergone a radical program of administrative decentralization and neoliberal reforms. In Methods of Desire, author Aurora Donzelli explores these changes through an innovative perspective—one that locates the production of neoliberalism in novel patterns of language use and new styles of affect display. Building on almost two decades of fieldwork, Donzelli describes how the growing influence of transnational lending agencies is transforming the ways in which people desire and voice their expectations, intentions, and entitlements within the emergent participatory democracy and restructuring of Indonesia’s political economy. She argues that a largely overlooked aspect of the Era Reformasi concerns the transition from a moral regime centered on the expectation that desires should remain hidden to a new emphasis on the public expression of individuals’ aspirations. The book examines how the large-scale institutional transformations that followed the collapse of the Suharto regime have impacted people’s lives and imaginations in the relatively remote and primarily rural Toraja highlands of Sulawesi. A novel concept of the individual as a bundle of audible and measurable desires has emerged, one that contrasts with the deep-rooted reticence toward the expression of personal preferences. The spreading of foreign discursive genres such as customer satisfaction surveys, training sessions, electoral mission statements, and fundraising auctions, and the diffusion of new textual artifacts such as checklists, flowcharts, and workflow diagrams are producing forms of citizenship, political participation, and moral agency that contrast with the longstanding epistemologies of secrecy typical of local styles of knowledge and power. Donzelli’s long-term ethnographic study examines how these foreign protocols are being received, absorbed, and readapted in a peripheral community of the Indonesian archipelago. Combining a telescopic perspective on our contemporary moment with a microscopic analysis of conversational practices, the author argues that the managerial forms of political rationality and the entrepreneurial morality underwriting neoliberal apparatuses proliferate through the working of small cogs, that is, acts of speech. By examining these concrete communicative exchanges, she sheds light on both the coherence and inconsistency underlying the worldwide diffusion of market logic to all domains of life.

Charles Dickens - The Man Behind the Classics: Autobiographical Novels, Stories, Memoirs, Letters & Biographies

Download Charles Dickens - The Man Behind the Classics: Autobiographical Novels, Stories, Memoirs, Letters & Biographies PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : e-artnow
ISBN 13 : 8027225159
Total Pages : 3718 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (272 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Charles Dickens - The Man Behind the Classics: Autobiographical Novels, Stories, Memoirs, Letters & Biographies by : Charles Dickens

Download or read book Charles Dickens - The Man Behind the Classics: Autobiographical Novels, Stories, Memoirs, Letters & Biographies written by Charles Dickens and published by e-artnow. This book was released on 2017-10-16 with total page 3718 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique collection of "Charles Dickens - The Man Behind the Classics: Autobiographical Novels, Stories, Memoirs, Letters & Biographies" has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards. Contents: David Copperfield Sketches by Boz The Beadle. The Parish Engine. The Schoolmaster. The Curate. The Old Lady. The Half-pay Captain The Four Sisters The Election for Beadle The Broker's Man The Ladies' Societies Our Next-door Neighbour The Streets – morning The Streets – night Shops and their Tenants Scotland Yard Seven Dials Meditations in Monmouth-Street Hackney-coach Stands Doctors' Commons London Recreations The River Astley's Greenwich Fair Private Theatres Vauxhall Gardens by Day Early Coaches Omnibuses The Last Cab-driver A Parliamentary Sketch Public Dinners The First of May Brokers' and Marine-store Shops Gin-shops The Pawnbroker's Shop Criminal Courts A Visit to Newgate Thoughts about People A Christmas Dinner The New Year Miss Evans and the Eagle The Parlour Orator The Hospital Patient The Misplaced attachment of Mr. John Dounce The Mistaken Milliner The Dancing Academy Shabby-Genteel People Making a Night of It The Prisoners' Van The Boarding-house Mr. Minns and his Cousin Sentiment The Tuggses at Ramsgate Horatio Sparkins The Black Veil The Steam Excursion The Great Winglebury Duel Mrs. Joseph Porter A Passage in the Life of Mr. Watkins Tottle The Bloomsbury Christening The Drunkard's death Sketches Sunday Under Three Heads Reprinted Pieces The Uncommercial Traveller American Notes Pictures From Italy The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices Letters My Father as I Recall Him by Mamie Dickens Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Among his greatest works are A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities.

Spectacular Miracles

Download Spectacular Miracles PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Reaktion Books
ISBN 13 : 1780231423
Total Pages : 313 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (82 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Spectacular Miracles by : Jane Garnett

Download or read book Spectacular Miracles written by Jane Garnett and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2013-06-15 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the ACE / Mercers' Book Award 2014 Spectacular Miracles confronts an enduring Western belief in the supernatural power of images: that a statue or painting of the Madonna can fly through the air, speak, weep, or produce miraculous cures. Although contrary to widely held assumptions, the cults of particular paintings and statues held to be miraculous have persisted beyond the middle ages into the present, even in a modern European city such as Genoa, the primary focus of this book. Drawing upon rich documentation from northwest Italy and elsewhere, Spectacular Miracles shows how these images “work” in a range of historical contexts. Jane Garnett and Gervase Rosser vividly evoke ritual animation of the image and the phenomenology of the beholder’s experience. These images, they demonstrate, have the subversive potential of the miraculous image to bypass clerical and secular authority, a power enhanced by reproducibility—devotion is hard to control when a copy of a venerated image is held to carry the same supernatural potential as the original, even when in a digital form mediated by the Internet. Engaging with the history, anthropology, and visual culture of images and religion, Spectacular Miracles is a convincing study of the continuing power of faith and art.

James Fenimore Cooper: 30 Novels in One Volume - Western Classics, Adventure Novels & Sea Tales

Download James Fenimore Cooper: 30 Novels in One Volume - Western Classics, Adventure Novels & Sea Tales PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Good Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 12159 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (596 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis James Fenimore Cooper: 30 Novels in One Volume - Western Classics, Adventure Novels & Sea Tales by : James Fenimore Cooper

Download or read book James Fenimore Cooper: 30 Novels in One Volume - Western Classics, Adventure Novels & Sea Tales written by James Fenimore Cooper and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-12-06 with total page 12159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: James Fenimore Cooper's collection of 30 novels in one volume, including Western classics, adventure novels, and sea tales, offers readers a comprehensive insight into the intricacies of American literature during the 19th century. With a unique blend of historical accuracy and imaginative fiction, Cooper's literary style captures the essence of early American life, exploring themes of race relations, the clash of civilizations, and the struggle for survival in the wilderness. The vivid descriptions and intense action sequences make this collection a thrilling read for those interested in the American frontier and the sea-faring adventures of the era. Cooper's ability to intertwine historical events with fictional narratives showcases his mastery of storytelling and his keen sense of drama. James Fenimore Cooper, a prominent American writer of the early 19th century, drew inspiration for his works from his own experiences growing up in the wild frontier of early America. His upbringing and observations of the changing landscape of the country influenced his writing style and thematic choices, making him a leading figure in American literature. Cooper's deep connection to the natural world and his interest in exploring the complexities of human relationships are evident in his vast body of work, making him a significant contributor to the literary canon of his time. I highly recommend James Fenimore Cooper's 30 novels in one volume to readers who appreciate classic American literature, historical fiction, and adventure tales. This collection provides a comprehensive overview of Cooper's literary contributions and offers a captivating journey through the untamed wilderness of early America and the high seas.

The City

Download The City PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Modern Library
ISBN 13 : 0307432041
Total Pages : 172 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (74 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The City by : Joel Kotkin

Download or read book The City written by Joel Kotkin and published by Modern Library. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If humankind can be said to have a single greatest creation, it would be those places that represent the most eloquent expression of our species’s ingenuity, beliefs, and ideals: the city. In this authoritative and engagingly written account, the acclaimed urbanist and bestselling author examines the evolution of urban life over the millennia and, in doing so, attempts to answer the age-old question: What makes a city great? Despite their infinite variety, all cities essentially serve three purposes: spiritual, political, and economic. Kotkin follows the progression of the city from the early religious centers of Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China to the imperial centers of the Classical era, through the rise of the Islamic city and the European commercial capitals, ending with today’s post-industrial suburban metropolis. Despite widespread optimistic claims that cities are “back in style,” Kotkin warns that whatever their form, cities can thrive only if they remain sacred, safe, and busy–and this is true for both the increasingly urbanized developing world and the often self-possessed “global cities” of the West and East Asia. Looking at cities in the twenty-first century, Kotkin discusses the effects of developments such as shifting demographics and emerging technologies. He also considers the effects of terrorism–how the religious and cultural struggles of the present pose the greatest challenge to the urban future. Truly global in scope, The City is a timely narrative that will place Kotkin in the company of Lewis Mumford, Jane Jacobs, and other preeminent urban scholars.