The City, a Dictionary of Quotable Thought on Cities and Urban Life

The Cityis the best, funniest, saddest, and most thought-provoking compilation ever assembled on the urban scene. James A. Clapp has arranged, with excellent woodcut illustrations, more than three thousand quotations—epigrams, epithets, verses, proverbs, scriptural references, witticisms, lyrics, literary references, and historical observations—on urban life from antiquity until the present. These quotes are drawn from the written and spoken words of more than one thousand writers throughout history.

This volume, with contributions from speakers, poets, song writers, politicians philosophers, scientists, religious leaders, historians, social scientists, humorists, architects, journalists, and travelers from and to many lands is designed to be used by writers, speechmakers, students, and scholars on cities and urban life. The City contains an author index, and a subject index ranging from anti-urbanism to zoning codes. Clapp’s text is noteworthy for its sharp contrasts of urban and rural life and the urbanization process in different historical times and geographical areas.

The work features a guide to cities index ranging from Accra to Zurich. The scope of the book is international, including entries on most major and not a few lesser cities of the world. These include historical commentaries ranging from writings at the beginning of recorded history to contemporary observations on urban planning and styles. The illustrations and designs prepared by Rene Kammeyer provide excellent and imaginative guides to the text. The work is noteworthy for its pleasures and as well insights.