Ten Cities That Led the World

Ten Cities That Led the World follows ten great cities, from ancient capitals to modern megacities. As the book tells it, each city leads civilisation for a time before passing the baton on. Paul Strathern explores how ideas flourish, revolutions begin and history is made in these places. The journey takes in Babylonian mathematics, Athenian theatre, Roman building, Constantinople and Istanbul, Enlightenment Paris, Imperial London, Moscow, Mumbai and more. Each city has its own personality, and the book shows the foundations we build on and how our futures may be shaped.

Why You Should Read?

• Learn how Babylonian mathematics, Athenian theatre and debate, and lasting Roman construction mark the earliest ages of urban leadership.
• Follow the change from Constantinople to Istanbul, and the revolutionary spark in Enlightenment Paris.
• Explore how railways, canals and ships helped build Imperial London, as the book tells it.
• Understand the contrasts the book draws, from spaceships and starvation in Moscow to wealth and poverty in Mumbai.