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The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects

by Lewis Mumford

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A sweeping history of urban life and change

$25.14 USD
$41.91 USD $25.14 USD
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Paperback New English

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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    National Book Award winner

    The metadata describes this book as a winner of the National Book Award.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A sweeping history of urban life and change

Lewis Mumford traces the city across broad stretches of human civilization, beginning with early communal habitats and moving through Greek and Roman models, Christian towns shaped by monasticism, and modern commercial centers. The book treats urban form as inseparable from social institutions, economic systems, and cultural ideas: Greek civic life, Roman concepts of the city, and mercantile capitalism each receive distinct attention. With its long historical scope and emphasis on the forces behind urban transformation, this is a substantial study of how cities have been made, remade, and understood over time.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in urban history and the development of cities
  • Students of architecture, planning, sociology, or social criticism
  • Readers seeking a wide-ranging historical study of civilization and urban form

Themes

UrbanizationCivilization and social institutionsGreek and Roman citiesChristian towns and monasticismCapitalism and the modern city

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD. A definitive classic, Lewis Mumford's massive historical study brings together a wide array of evidence -- from the earliest group habitats to medieval towns to the modern centers of commerce -- to show how the urban form has changed throughout human civilization.
Mumford explores the factors that made Greek cities uniques and offers a controversial view of the Roman city concept. He explains how the role of monasticism influenced Christian towns and how mercanitile capitalism shapes the modern city today.
The City in History remains a powerfully influential work, one that has shaped the agendas of urban planners, sociologists, and social critics since its publication in the 1960s.
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