Kostof follows the evolution of city components to modern times, discussing the effect of natural disasters like the Great Fire of London and the Lisbon earthquake, war and comprehensive redevelopment, compared with traditional patterns of growth and change. Over 300 drawings, prints, paintings and photographs help to tell the story from the colonnaded streets of ancient Palmyra to shopping malls and gentrified London squares.

Both a classic study in architectural and social history and a pointer to the future, The City Assembled is a fitting testament to Professor Kostof’s wide-ranging intellectual powers.

Spiro Kostof (1936-1991) was Professor of Architectural History at the University of California at Berkeley, and wrote a companion volume to this book, The City Shaped, also published by Thames and Hudson.