A History of the City, Humankind’s Greatest Invention

From the Sunday Times bestselling author, a dazzling, globe-spanning history of humankind's greatest invention: the city.

'Brilliant.enchanting' Evening Standard 'Exhilarating' New York Times

The story of the city is the story of civilisation.

From Uruk to New York, how urban life shaped civilisation.

Across 7,000 years of history, historian Ben Wilson charts how cities have driven innovation, culture and progress. From Mesopotamia’s first streets to the skyscrapers of today, Metropolis celebrates the creativity born from urban collision - while exploring the challenges of crowding, inequality and climate.

Rich in character and colour, it’s both a sweeping history and a love letter to the bustle and brilliance of urban life. For readers of Sapiens and The Silk Roads, this is history at its most visionary and vivid.

‘Brilliant… enchanting.’ Evening Standard
‘A towering achievement… exhilarating.’ Wall Street Journal