A truly great skyline can tell the story of a civilization, and inspire thousands of people. The Manhattan skyline has ignited the imaginations of filmmakers, writers and artists since construction began on the Empire State Building in 1930. Built during the dark days of the great depression, the Empire State building has come to stand for highly-prized American values of progress, hope, freedom and determination, and the panorama it inhabits is generally perceived as one of the most spectacular of its kind. As China continues to develop as a major economic power its cities grow upwards and outwards with unrelenting energy. The skylines of cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, now more than rival European cities like London and Frankfurt. This beautifully illustrated book explores the stories behind these incredible vistas. What factors make a skyline iconic, and who are the architects behind them?
Bill Price is originally from Herefordshire and now lives in North West London. After working in various areas of the UK book trade for fifteen years, he become a full time freelance writer and is now the author of ten books. Most of these have reflected his interest in the history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and, in particular, the First World War.