The book of cities

The Book of Cities is an inspirational gazetteer of 250 cities of all shapes, sizes and moods.

Cities of dreaming spires, cities that never sleep. Cities of angels and street-urchins. Cities that are brash and vital, where the memories of glories past lie hidden behind ruined facades.

The 250 cities are presented in longitudinal order - like a contemporary Phileas Fogg this round-the-world trip sets out from and returns to the Greenwich Meridian.

Heading West from London (closely followed by Accra in Ghana at 0[degrees] 6' W) it visits the Americas and beyond.

The book contains, of course, all the great metropolises - Paris, Rome, New York, Tokyo - but also those lesser known: Cordoba, an ancient city of trade and learning or Brasilia, an architect's plaything, alongside cities at the end of the world like Anchorage and sites of pilgrimage whether Jerusalem... or Memphis, Tennessee. Each city is portrayed by photographs capturing its essence, accompanied by succinct, funky texts that, like a postcard home, capture the vibe and soul of the place as though you were sitting at a corner street cafe watching the city's life flow by.

Additional insights are provided by wise and wry quotes from residents and visitors.

Here you will not find recommendations on where to stay or where to shop.

That is the preserve of guide books.