Mega Builds: The Sunday Times Bestseller - Ten Colossal Construction Projects That Will Change Our World

by Fred Mills

Construction is the most important industry in the world. The homes we wake up to, the schools we raise our children in, the transport infrastructure we all use, the hospitals we rely on – all of it was built and enabled by construction.

In Mega Builds, YouTube sensation Fred Mills charts the story of how ten colossal megaprojects are reshaping our modern world. Fred gives us a front row seat to a fascinating, fact-packed guided tour around the world, shining a spotlight on the incredible feats of engineering that serve as new chapters in the story of what’s to come.

By the end of this book, you’ll

Why the world’s biggest city has been built in the worst place imaginable.Where the vision of a single ruler in the desert is rewriting our understanding of what’s possible.What drives us to build ever-higher buildings and design ever-faster trains.And above all, how the dizzying scale of human imagination will inform the future of the man-made world.
The trajectory of our civilisation is being authored today, all around us, not in words on a page but in steel and concrete, by an industry that most people completely overlook. Learn more about it in Mega Builds.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Audiobook, Society, Construction

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2026

Reviews

[Daniel Sanders]

Fun, light read, but packed with information and cool stuff. The tone is very similar to the B1M YouTube channel, so this felt like a natural progression. Best chapters on the nuclear fusion reactor, New York’s super tall residential tower boom, Japan’s new maglev, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill in the US.

[Lewis Cain]

A mega book on mega builds. Loved it, it’s insightful, interesting and heartfelt. I hadn’t heard of Fred and the team previously but I’m now very much a dedicated fan!

[Lewis Crowther]

Some really cool projects covered but also many heavy topics touched on

A great read for all whether in the construction field or not. Really highlights the importance of construction even the parts less commonly seen

[Matthew Shackleton]

Absolutely wonderful, listened to the full audiobook while in the lab all day. Highly recommend, excellent narration by the author, very wholesome, super informative.

[Rob Sedgwick]

This is a very entertaining and readable book. I was shocked to learn that I knew nothing about any of the mega builds featured in the book. Nor had I ever seen Fred's YouTube channel. The book is non-technical and chatty, and Fred makes regular jokes and wisecracks. I guarantee you'll read something which will amaze you in this book. It covers projects right across the developed world too: Europe, Asia and America. The format and the success of the book I am sure will run to sequels!

[David Earl Woodbury]

#77th book read in 2926
“MEGA Builds”
By Fred Mills 2026
Audible 
Started 5.25.26 - Finished 5.26.26

Suicide Preventative in the Construction World, a great message at the end and throughout.

Thanks to Fred for having the courage to write about mental illness and depression.

Close theme to my heart as a SOSA Survivor.

I loved Fred Mills before his new book, and I love him more afterwards.

[Hefty Joe]

Really interesting book and very easy to read. Fred is an excellent author, managing to break down complex ideas and make them both accessible and engaging. He is also great at painting a vivid description of each scene, and he did get me quite a few times with some sprinkled in jokes. Hope he writes some more!

[Kassidy]

Really engi-nerding out with this one 😅 but super interesting

[Robbo]

An interesting read about large building projects you've probably never heard of. It could have done with a few more maps for context & diagrams for clarity, but overall it was good.

[Jonathan Melville]

I am a big fan of the B1M so was excited for the book to support the channel, although the book didn’t quite meet expectations I still enjoyed it.

[Josh Wigley]

Interesting stuff. Slightly too technical for me at times

[Jeremy]

A decent read, some interesting mega construction examples, nothing complex. Probably better with the visuals of the YouTube channel, but I liked reading about them either way.

[Sam Walton]

Fred has done a fantastic job of turning detail contained in videos into this easily digestible written format. These 10 projects, with a sprinkling of a few others mentioned, have been subjects in their own right on Fred's YouTube channel, but what I love about this book is the additional insights; thoughts and feelings from being on sites in incredible locations doing mind blowing feats of engineering.

There is great detail, delivered in a very accessible manner, paired with humour, snark, and a lot of honesty. Fred doesn't just visit or explain mega builds, he weaves his personal story throughout; where he began on a dark journey (literally and figuratively), and how each of these staggering projects fills him with wonder and positivity for our world.

It's impossible to not be drawn along with his enthusiasm and I would read this again in a heartbeat.