Cities of the World is a highly original book, which holds up a mirror to some of the world's greatest cities, and traces their historic form and special character through some of the maps and panoramic views produced of them over the centuries. Illustrating the classical city-state, the medieval fortress, the baroque capital and the industrial metropolis, the images show how the architectural form and the social life of our cities have been shaped - not only by their geographical setting, but also by religion, royal power, commerce, social ideals, and occasionally artistic vision. Condensing centuries of history in one volume, Cities of the World is a thought-provoking and unique book for the armchair traveller, or indeed for anyone passionate about the history of human civilisation. From Athens to Brasilia, Washington to Moscow, San Francisco to Saigon or Venice to Lhasa, Cities of the World is a journey via maps, exploring man's perennial love-hate relationship with his finest, most complex and troubling creation, the city.