This is a very attractive and informative book that gives a taster of thirty of the World’s Greatest cities. Each city is introduced first with a colour photograph, followed by a bird’s eye view of the city with the main features picked out and the statistics (population, population density, foundation date, surface are and location), then a double page about the city (a bit of history, tourist sites and current situation), finally a double page on one of the city’s most famous buildings or areas.
I have been to seventeen of the thirty featured cities – all of the European cities except Moscow – and it was interesting to read the stats and to see if I had missed any of the must-see sights. In particular, I was interested in new features since my visits. For those cities I had not visited, but would like to, Jerusalem, Toronto and San Francisco stood out.
The book has just enough on each city to whet your appetite – not enough to really plan a trip or find out what really makes each city tick. But then, I suppose, the book would have to be soooo much bigger.
I was a bit disappointed that the pages on the specially featured buildings were of drawings, rather than photographs. I understand that way probably made pointing out the specific features easier, but did make the buildings look rather dull. In particular Hagia Sofia (Istanbul), St Marco (Venice) and La Sagrada Familia (Barcelona). I love visiting places of worship around the world (even though I am agnostic), and felt a bit let down by the insipid (though surely accurate) depictions. There were often tiny photos on the side – but they were too small to convey the majesty of these wonderful buildings.
The book would make a lovely present, particularly for children wanting to know more about the world.

World's Greatest Cities

Author: Editors of Chartwell Books
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group - Chartwell Books
Pages: 256
On Sale: August 2020
Genre: HIstory, Travel, Photography
Stars: 4/5

From the Publisher:

World's Greatest Cities is an illuminating visual guide to 30 incredible cities around the globe—with annotated 3-D reconstructions and cutaway models that allow you to journey right to the soul of each of them.

For thousands of years, cities built by humans have reflected their beliefs, their power, their needs, and their desires. Palaces and prisons, churches and mosques, skyscrapers and suspension bridges are the tracks that history, sometimes glorious, often violent, imprints on these cities. But these cities are also the men and women who inhabit them and who stamp a unique character onto each of them. The spirit of each city is also etched in the daily coming and going of the streets, the hustle and bustle of the markets, and in the unhurried discussions of the cafés.

Explore the cities of the world today that leave a lasting impression on those who visit them. These cities offer rich architectural heritage and spectacular natural environments. But above all, they have a vitality that makes them unique. They are cities that know how to grow, transform, and reinvent themselves without losing their essence.

Feel the heartbeat of the most vibrant and exciting cities around the globe. Skyscrapers, alongside ancient marvels, are beautifully illustrated and perfectly complement the engaging text that describes the creation and history of these celebrated destinations.

The cities examined are: Paris, San Francisco, New York City, Toronto, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, London, Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Athens, Moscow, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Dubai, Sydney, Auckland, Cairo, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, and all of their landmark sites.

From Me:
I really enjoyed this, from the art and the history and the landmarks to the variety and diversity of the cities chosen. This would be great for both an educational use or a fun coffee table book. Some cities I was already familiar with, but others I knew little about and all had a lot of interesting facts.

Having visited about half of the cities listed and another quarter or third being on my bucket list, I can say it is an extremely interesting if heavy read.
It is full of information and you won't take everything in the first (or even second) time.
It is not a book to carry around on your travels but it teaches you about places you have been to and places you may be thinking about. It is like a documentary you can watch (read) over and over, or at your own pace.
Every city is described with its history and sights, and then focuses on one sight in particular, looking at a model of it with explanations. It's fascinating.

A lovely coffee table book to pick up, to browse, to dream and to plan to visit. Each city has the key facts giving a wonderful history of the place itself. The pictures are so beautiful and bring each city alive. The words describe the cultural places to visit and where the social life abounds.I was entranced with this book and it should also be noted that the facts are up to date which makes the reading even better. I have been to quite a lot of these cities and from reading this book my bucket list has been expanded to include the missing ones that in a couple of cases I did not even know that I would want to visit
Love the book and will be buying it for my reference library.

The World's Greatest Cities by the editors of Chartwell Books is a fascinating look at some of the major cities in every continent that have been able to grow, change and reinvent themselves while still maintaining their vitality, culture and unique flavor.

The photography in this book is stunning, and it was interesting to learn about the history of each of the cities and what makes them so unique, see maps showing their layouts, and also to learn of their must-see attractions.

This book is a treasure trove for travelers, and it made me want to book a trip immediately! Well done, Charter Books!! Very well done! This books earns 5 stars from me!!

My thanks to NetGalley and Charter Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this beautiful book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A very enjoyable book to read and learn some interesting facts/info on the various cities in the world. Great use of photography too that made you feel like you'd visited the city already.

If you wanted to see all the world's great cities in a single book, this one's for you. Cities from all 5 continents are included, such as Paris, London, Rome, Athens, New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Beijing, Cairo, Dubai, Sydney. The only unexpected one in the list, at least for me, may be Auckland.

The section for each city starts with an overview in the form of a Google maps satellite picture, pointing out various important landmarks or neighborhoods. A discussion of the city's history and personality follows, with pictures of the very touristic sights, as well as the quiet cafes or whatever defines the city's atmosphere. Then a deep dive into one building per city - whether the Kremlin in Moscow, or the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, or the sail-like Burj Al Arab hotel in Abu Dhabi. - including facts and maps and cutouts, in the style of DK's Eyewitness series.

Highly recommended for people casting about for their next vacation, or for armchair travelers of all stripes.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for letting me have a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

(I will add the online link as soon as I discover where I can post it. Amazon will not let me since the book is not yet available. )

What a stunning book! Amazing parts of the world shown to explore, prefect timing as we are currently planning a European Adventure. It has given me places outside the box to explore and more information no the main attractions that we are planning on seeing. I would love to see and experience everything in this book. It is written with great tips and diagrams to show you where to see what.
Thank you for this ARC, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this a lot and felt like I learned a great deal about the cities, but it just didn't live up to how enjoyable World's Greatest Wonders was. This one still featured great photographs and visual diagrams, but the initial page about each city was a little bit too busy.

World's Greatest Cities is a beautiful book that shows thirty cities from around the world. For each city they give the highlights, the key facts and some history. Every page is illustrated with amazing pictures and a map of the city. Some examples are San Francisco, Dubai, Tokyo, Auckland, Johannesburg and Buenos Aires. I learned a lot while reading this book! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in travel.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Some good introduction to a few cities, some images and a 3D visual of a certain place of the city that is known/tourist attraction. Good for those who are interested in different cities or travel.

Worlds Greatest Cities is very well laid out, the detail on each city is clear, interesting and accompanied by beautiful photos. Seeing the city centres laid out gives you a good sense of how the city is.
Its not quite a travel guide but a great coffee table book.

I was given a digital copy of Worlds Greatest Cities by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

This is a fantastic book for travelers. The pictures, maps, and information are excellent. I loved looking through this book and reading about the cities. The photography is amazing I looked at every picture multiple times. It honestly makes me want to visit pretty much every one of the cities in the book just to see them in person. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

An enjoyably browsable book that will appeal to even the most casual history buffs. Reading it is like wandering through a museum exhibit.

"World's Greatest Cities" give super short overviews over some of the most well-known cities world-wide. I'm just not sure who the target audience for this book is: travelers would need more in-depth information and casual readers wouldn't care of bridge lenghts and materials.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a complimentary copy of this book!

I love traveling and have been to a few of the places described in the book! The photos in the book are amazing! I like that the authors added pictures and descriptions of other sights in the cities they describe, for example, the Hundertwasserhaus in Austria and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. I think this is a great introduction to the different cities. This is a book that provides a great glimpse. For more information, the reader would certainly have to get travel guides specifically for the city he/she wants to learn more about or search the Internet. But that doesn't make the book less interesting. I was provided with a secured PDF for the book. I'm sure the photos and illustrations in the printed version of the book are even more amazing.

Loved this beautiful book opening with San Francisco a city I’ve visited many times.On to my city of birth New York for me best city to visit and moving from one gorgeous city to the next Perfect for someone who loves to travel or travels from their armchair.Would also make a perfect gift.#netgalley#quartobooks.

This absolutely stunning book is one of those where you can close your eyes and just point to a page if you're wanting to find your next travel location. Each city featured includes a gorgeous series of pictures, descriptions, history, and focus on a particular site in the city. Whether you're obsessed with a European city or you want to take a closer look at Latin America, the book is divided into particular areas so you have an easier chance of finding what you're looking for. This book is a dream for those planning travels.

A really nice coffee table book showcasing some wonderful cities.  Exceptional photography is combined with detailed information and excellent 3D illustrations.  This one will have you dog-earing pages and adding a ton of destinations to your bucket list.

World's Greatest Cities highlights major sights in well big cities. There is also interesting trivia to go along with every major monument. Overall, it was a lovely read and I learned a lot!

I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.