Urban Jungle

Wilding the City

Ben Wilson

$35

Paperback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

JONATHAN CAPE
13 June 2023

History; History: specific events & topics; Urban communities; Applied ecology; Global warming; The Earth: natural history general

An eye-opening and urgent re-examination of nature in our cities, from the Sunday Times bestselling winner of the Somerset Maugham Awards

An eye-opening and urgent re-examination of nature in our cities, from the Sunday Times bestselling winner of the Somerset Maugham Awards

Our modern-day cities might seem to represent our separation from the natural world. In fact, as Ben Wilson reveals in this captivating re-examination of urban landscapes around the world, nature has always been at the heart of the city.

Urban Jungle explores the wild side of cities past, present and future- the middens, abandoned sites and strips of land alongside railway lines. For much of history, wild patches in cities were essential for city-dwellers and the dividing line between city and countryside was blurred. Even our post-industrial cities are much wilder that we imagine - if we know where to look. On today's urbanised planet, natural forces - be they floods, storms, droughts or pandemics - look set to determine the future. In a time of climate crisis, cities that once built walls and towers to defend against attack now have to become greener to protect themselves from external threats.

Our future - and that of the planet - will be made in the city. Only by looking deep into the past, examining the present and casting an eye to the future can we really begin to understand the bountiful potential and wonder of our extraordinary urban ecosystems.

By: Ben Wilson
Imprint: JONATHAN CAPE
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 233mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 393g
ISBN: 9781787333147
ISBN 10: 1787333140
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 13 June 2023
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ben Wilson is the author of five critically acclaimed books, including What Price Liberty?, for which he received the Somerset Maugham Award; the Sunday Times bestseller Empire of the Deep; and, most recently, Heyday- The Dawn of the Global Age. Born in London in 1980, he has worked in television, broadcast on the radio in several countries, and writes regularly for publications such as The Times, Daily Telegraph and Prospect. He lives in Suffolk, UK.

Reviews for Urban Jungle: Wilding the City

Delightful, insightful, and easy to read. Wilson shows us that, however distant we feel from nature, we have and will always be part of it. -- Arthur Kay, founder and CEO of Skyroom Capacious, entertaining and rich in wondrous detail, this is a work of history that pulls off the startling feat of measuring up to the immensity of its subject matter. -- Tom Holland, praise for METROPOLIS A fascinating look at the highs and lows of inner-city living, from skyscrapers to slums. * BBC History Magazine, praise for METROPOLIS * Wilson [is] an erudite, creative guide to the history of civilization through its great urban areas... He broadens the book's focus beyond the usual Western suspects... An excellent account. * Time Magazine, praise for METROPOLIS * Compendious and fascinating... Metropolis is crammed with local colour; and what gives the historical schema its real flavour is the deviations it allows. * Daily Telegraph, praise for METROPOLIS *