Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Exactly the type of book I like to borrow from the library and dream of where to go next. Beautiful photos and interesting facts - definitely one to get if you like a selection of reference books for travel.

What a gorgeous book! The pictures are stunning. Covers 30 of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would say it’s more an armchair traveller book than a guide. I really enjoyed looking at the cities I’ve been to to see what landmarks and places they both included and left out.

I just love reading travel books especially if I have been to some of these places or looking into visiting these hopefully in the future. So when World's Greatest Cities by Editors of Chartwell Books came available to read and review I just had to request it. This book is full of informative information that gives a taster of thirty of the World’s Greatest cities. It is beautifully Illustrated throughout, followed by a birds eye view of a city, with its main features, population figures, history of this city and current situations etc. which made this book a great find, especially if you want to travel to some of the places within this book.

BIg thank you to Chartwell Books, Quarto Books Look and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review

I loved this book and think you will took. An interesting view of cities from around the world with glorious pictures that I can definitely recommend on any coffee table.

A delightful way to crank up your wanderlust!
Reading this during a pandemic was both a mistake (seeing lush photos of places you are not allowed to go? Totally sucks) and amusing (at least I can live vicariously through this book and add a couple places to my future travel plans).
Still something I would recommend to friends who want to learn more about some of the world's most desired vacation spots.
Big thanks to NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group - Chartwell Books for my DRC.

I love to read coffee table books with lots of wonderful pictures. If the book is about traveling it is a treat altogether.
I liked this books. It describes best cities of the world. It has stunning pictures and stunning landscapes.
You get the feel of the city and glance of its soul.
Description alongside pictures is very interesting.
It completes a enjoyable and informative combination.
I liked the book very much. You must have a look if you like to feel new places.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.

A gorgeous book with stunning photography that's sure to make you want to pack your bags, run out the door and travel the world. The mix between phots and text is very well done and it leaves you with a book to page through and imagine yourself in another city.

*** An ARC was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

AUTHOR

Editors of Chartwell Books

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

The World’s Greatest Cities is a book for all those who share a love of travel and exploration. Those who enjoy owning beautiful, high quality products will appreciate this tome. Anyone who has a yearning for knowledge of places beyond their reach or current understanding would benefit from the clear and concise information herein and the convincing visuals. For those who mourn the loss of the Cathedral Notre Dame, the edifice is included in this volume.

SYNOPSIS

Imagine for a moment that you can visit 30 of the most wondrous cities in the world all from the comfort of your own living room; well now you can. The World’s Greatest Cities reference guide from the stable of Chartwell Books, will provide you with such an experience. Whilst this book can never rival actually being there, the visuals provide you with a genuine sense of the neighborhood.

Each of the 30 cities has its own section complete with photos and descriptions. Each section frequently combines several of the following; topographical maps, satellite imagery, detailed architectural illustrations, inset images, the global and national location of each metropolis, and 2 dimensional virtual depictions of specific sites. In addition there are: numerous first person ground level photographs, day and night photographs of various venues, detailed building models including cut aways that reveal hidden secrets of the construction. These elements combine to present a vibrant, colorful, and exciting vision of the 30 metropoleis. The authors also include detailed information relating to each city, a key containing pertinent information relating to specifics about the area and the Global Positioning System (GPS) data.

CONCLUSION

The authors, illustrators, and photographers of World’s Greatest Cities have created a product beautiful to the eye and intriguing to the mind. It would sit comfortably next to other reference materials in any library.

If I had one concern, it is that I was disappointed with the Hagia Sofia Mosque depictions. Of all the pictures in the entire book, the images of the Mosque were of the most inferior quality, and in my opinion remain a missed opportunity.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed reading World’s Greatest Cities, I didn’t warm to it as much as I did to a similar publication from the same stable. Check out my review of World’s Greatest Wonders to see the differences. Nevertheless, it is a magnificent edition.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Editors of Chartwell Books, NetGalley, and Chartwell Books for affording me the overt unity to review World’s Greatest Cities.

Hi there, our records show you are a frequent visitor to Litercurious and I wanted to say a personal thank you for your patronage. Thank you for liking and sharing our posts. Please feel free to reblog any or all of the reviews. I look forward to your valuable input again in the near future.

With an in-depth look at thirty cities worldwide, the World’s Greatest Cities is the perfect coffee table or waiting room read.

From New York City to Istanbul, many of civilization’s best cities are highlighted. Each city’s section contains a two-page iconic full-color photograph title page. In the following two pages, maps and photos highlight the city’s key facts, history and landmarks. A multi-page article explains significant facts about the city and additional tourist attractions are depicted. Finally, there is a two-page schematic of the city’s most popular historic site that included fun facts and interior photographs.

The text and especially the gorgeous illustrations will fuel your desire for travel. The World’s Greatest Cities is a great gift for the recently retired or any future world traveler. The hardest part is to decide where to go first. 4 stars!

Thanks to Chartwell Books, Quarto BooksLook and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

World's Greatest Cities
A Journey Through the Most Dynamic and Fascinating Cities in the World
by Editors of Chartwell Books
Quarto Publishing Group - Chartwell Books
Chartwell Books
Nonfiction (Adult) , Travel

A wonderful book for the traveler or the stay at home traveler. Every major city is included and it is a delight to read.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC.
Will recommend to others.

Such an interesting book to go through and learn more about places I've been, and add more to the to-see list!

In a word, World’s Greatest Cities, is fabulous. It is a stunning review of 30 of the most impressive cities in the world, with every continent represented. For each city there is historical and cultural information, many key facts and statistics, maps and charts, and a double page that focuses on one of that city’s most iconic buildings or sites. It also includes beautiful photographs that certainly give the reader a further sense of the city and its attractions.

This book has a great deal of information, but the format doesn’t make the reader feel over-burdened. Instead, it’s a wonderful book that can be easily read and digested over a period of time. Whether you’re an arm-chair traveler or someone who is often looking for inspiration for that next trip, World’s Greatest Cities will be very appealing and useful. I definitely give this book a thumbs up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I volunteered to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is very informative. I highly recommend everyone to get this book if you are going ro travel out of the country or within the United States.

What amazing pictures! Totally wasted on my little old ipad - took ages to load. This needs to be in a physical format, to be drooled over properly.

An overview of famous cities around the world. The editors did a good job of selecting representative cities from every continent (except Antarctica, for obvious reasons). You can casually page through and read about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, the recent fire at Notre Dame cathedral, or the excavation of the Great Pyramid in Cairo. Includes interesting cross-sections of major architectural features in each city. Will appeal to readers who like history, travel, architecture, and general encyclopedic works. Written for adults, but older children will enjoy the pictures and facts.

This book is a great companion to go with Worlds Greatest Wonders. The book is a fabulous collection of cities around the world.. The chosen cities leave great impressions on those that visit.
Exquisite photographs. Graphic 3D models to fully explain the heritage of the city.
I feel like I now have a bucket list of all the places I want to visit in my lifetime.
A perfect educational tool and reference book.
#worldsgreatestcities #netgalley

I love travel books, particularly those with big glossy pictures and enough historical and cultural facts to help me decide where on my mental list of places to visit I’ll position any spots that take my fancy. This book focuses on 30 cities which it says are sure to make a strong impressions all who visit them, with each having a rich architectural heritage or a spectacular natural environment and a uniqueness that sets them aside from other cities. It’s a tough call whittling down all the major cities of the world to a final group of this size and whilst I might have included a couple not covered here I do think this is a pretty good stab at it.

I’ve visited about a third of the cities listed here and each of them certainly impressed me. My personal favourites include Berlin, Venice, San Francisco and Sydney but in truth they all offered something slightly different and each was amazing in its own way. The format here is to offer up some historical background, an birds eye map with places of interest picked out and also a detailed plan of a major structure synonymous with that location. It a short and punchy introduction to each city. And the photographs are wonderful, I particularly loved a view of Sydney, tracking a runner as he makes his way over the Harbour Bridge and showing a superb view of the vista below - absolutely stunning!

A nice introduction for readers who haven't traveled much. My library will likely purchase this title, as ours is a very homogeneous community and it would benefit readers to learn more about the diverse places in the world.

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.