Monumental

This photo book brings together images and short histories of architecture spanning more than ten thousand years. Its subjects range from houses of worship and sacred temples to fortresses, cave dwellings, pyramids, royal palaces, city walls, towers, and many other kinds of structures. Among the images are Gothic windows that scatter shifting colors across their interiors, glass skyscrapers catching the sun, the eroded steps of a Maya pyramid, and Indian temples covered in intricate carved relief.

The book shows how buildings shape human life by providing spaces for worship and reflection, public debate, and artistic work. Each monument is paired with text that explains notable facts about its past. The entries follow a chronological order, which lets readers notice connections between civilizations that might otherwise seem unrelated. The book asks what was happening in the Mexican city of Teotihuacán while the Romans were holding political discussions in the Forum, and notes that the Great Mosque of Djenné and St. Patrick's Cathedral were built during the same period.

The volume serves as a visual tour of humanity's major architectural achievements across the world, suited to readers who want to explore how different cultures built their most important places.