Skylines: A Journey Through 50 Skylines of the World's Greatest Cities

by Yolanda Zappaterra (Editor), Jenny Seddon (Illustrator), Jan Fuscoe (Editor)

Big city life unites the planet. Every habitable continent has metropolitan hot spots that are a hive of activity, a hub of culture – or, to countless millions, the place they call home. Some thrive on a symphony of car horns while for others there’s the rhythmic echo of trains or even ships. The air may hang heavy with spices or fragrant flowers, among buildings that are rarefied or regenerated. There’s no universal formula that makes a city illustrious. But the spectacle of a horizon brimming with prominent buildings great and small evokes an anticipatory thrill about what lies at its core. And a skyline is that city’s iconic signature writ large on a blank canvas, with no two appearing the same. A skyline is a window-shoppers guide to what lays in store. It is a visual code that bridges the language gap and shows you at a glance what has made a city great. From the dizzy heights of the Dubai horizon to the ancient silhouette of Rome, Skylines  features fifty of the most iconic, vibrant and often magnificent places from across the globe. This is your key to exploring the world through the architectural triumphs that make our cities famous.              Beautiful and atmospheric illustrations accompany an introduction to these iconic vistas, summing up their spirit, history and location. Short histories of each place reveal threads that illuminate often well-trodden streets. This compilation is defined by the one-of-a-kind buildings – including fortresses, palaces, sacred sites, monuments, skyscrapers and cultural hotspots – that makes each one unique.  See how well you really know these cities as they are depicted through the silhouettes of their most noteworthy buildings. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Travel

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2015

Reviews

[Am Y · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to give it 1 star because I found it extremely annoying and frustrating not to have the country named. E.g. The book would name a city and start talking about it, but you had no idea at all which country that city was in. For better-known cities like Kyoto, Beirut, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul and so on this was fine because I guess the author assumes most people would know where they were. But some cities I had never heard of at all, and was left constantly wondering where on earth is this place? and eventually I had to google them to know what country they were in. Each city is given a 2-page overview of the buildings (and other architectural features) in it that the author regards as being distinctive/prominent, with an accompanying silhouette illustration of its skyline featuring said structures. I would much rather have seen actual photos.

[M. Winslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed this more than read it. I found it very interesting and highly recommend it for anyone who is traveling and wants to visit any of these cities. The book is organized and thoughtful about the historical value of the 50 cities and how they are special. It is obvious that the authors and illustrator are very familiar with the topics they present in this book.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok read. The illustrations, though lovely, were so similar from one city to the next that only unusual landmark buildings were the only way the city skylines could be differentiated. Nothing exciting.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delightful & informative book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summaries of cultural capitals, seaside, fortress, skyscraper, sacred and visionary cities. includes visual depictions of great and distinguishing features of each cities' skylines but not photos of the cities.