British Museum: A History of the World in 25 Cities
A stunningly illustrated book of extraordinary city maps, telling the story of human civilisation throughout history.
A gorgeous, large-format gift hardback with a stunning neon cover, A History of the World in 25 Cities features 25 beautifully illustrated city maps from all over the world, from ancient history to the present day.
Co-authored by award-winning children's authors Tracey Turner and Andrew Donkin in consultation with specialist curators at the British Museum, readers can visit cities from every inhabited continent on Earth, from the walled city of Jericho built over 10,000 years ago, to the modern-day metropolis of Tokyo, the most-densely populated city in the world today.
Featuring vibrant, beautifully detailed artwork from Libby VanderPloeg, each carefully researched map takes readers on a city tour at a unique moment in time - from exploring Athens in ancient Greece during the birth of democracy, to walking the beautiful lamplit streets of medieval Benin, deep in the West African rainforest. Readers can even visit China's long-lost capital city of Xianyang - a city for which no original map exists, which was brought to life with support from the British Museum's fantastic team of experts.
Each map is followed by two gorgeously illustrated pages of fascinating information about what life was (or is) like for the inhabitants of each city, including a bite-sized look at each city in numbers. Packed with countless facts for curious readers to return to again and again, this is a perfect gift for children who want to explore history from around the world.
Cities featured include Jericho, Memphis, Athens, Xianyang, Rome, Constantinople, Baghdad, Jórvík, Benin City, Tenochtitlán, Granada, Beijing, Venice, Delhi, Cuzco, Amsterdam, Sydney, Paris, London, Bangkok, Saint Petersburg, New York City, Berlin, San Francisco and Tokyo, plus an exploration of Cities of Today and Cities of Tomorrow.
Tracey Turner has written lots of books for children, including How Many Mice Make an Elephant, The Curious Book of Lists, Exploding Beetles and Inflatable Fish, and more than 80 other titles. Her work has been published in over 20 languages and many of her books have gone on to become best-sellers. She lives in Bath, southwest England with Tom and their son, Toby, and Wellington the dog, and works as a writer and editor.
Andrew Donkin (Author)
Andrew Donkin has sold over 10 million children's books and graphic novels, worldwide. His graphic novel, Illegal (co-written with Eoin Colfer), was an international bestseller and has won or been nominated for over 40 book awards. Andrew has written for many global franchises, including Batman, Superman, Doctor Who, and Artemis Fowl. His non-fiction work includes biographies of Roald Dahl, William Shakespeare and Albert Einstein. He loves books, comics, and tea. Andrew lives near the river Thames in London with his family.
Libby VanderPloeg (Illustrator)
Libby VanderPloeg is an artist and illustrator living in west Michigan. She always loved drawing and, growing up, was surrounded by books and stories, as her mother was a storyteller and children's librarian. On family road trips, she'd study the big atlases as they trekked from state to state, fascinated by all of the layers of information and iconography. After studying fine art in Chicago and working as a graphic designer, art director, and even a cheese monger in Brooklyn, she decided to focus on her lifelong love of drawing and illustration. Her obsession with maps resurfaced, now through her illustration work, drawing dozens of colorful cities across the globe.