Beneath the Metropolis: The Secret Lives of Cities - Softcover

Marshall, Alex

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786720263 ISBN 13: 9780786720262

Publisher: Avalon Publishing Group, 2007

Synopsis

Rare Book

About this title

Review:

"The author plumbs the depths of a dozen cities, and his notes from underground illuminate a great deal about the respective metropoles' aboveground histories." - Mike Wallace, co-author, Gotham: A History of New York to 1898 "The murky and miraculous worlds of connection beneath cities - what a fantastic, and overdue topic for a book! Alex Marshall carries off the assignment with accuracy, aplomb, and great writing." - Neal Peirce, Washington-Post Writers Group"

Synopsis:

The pulse of great cities may be most palpable above ground, but it is below the busy streets where we can observe their rich archaeological history and the infrastructure that keeps them running. In Beneath the Metropolis journalist Alex Marshall investigates how geological features, archaeological remnants of past civilizations, and layered networks transporting water, electricity, and people, have shaped these cities through centuries of political turbulence and advancements in engineering and how they are determining the course of the cities' future. From the first-century catacombs of Rome, the New York subway system, and the swamps and ancient quays beneath London, to San Francisco's fault lines, the depleted aquifer below Mexico City, and Mao Tse-tung's extensive network of secret tunnels under Beijing, these subterranean environments offer a unique cross-section of a city's history and future. Stunningly illustrated with colorful photographs, drawings, and maps, Beneath the Metropolis reveals the hidden worlds beneath our feet, and charts the cities' development through centuries of forgotten history, political change, and technological innovation.

About this edition

• Publisher: Avalon Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0786720263
• ISBN 13: 9780786720262
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272