A Tale of Five Cities
The gripping and illuminating story of how five cities shaped the course of global history
In FIVE CITIES THAT RULED THE WORLD (Thomas Nelson. November 2009) theologian Douglas Wilson fuses together, in compelling detail, the critical moments birthed in history’s most influential cities—Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York.
Each of these cities emerged in their respective times of influence to dominate the world stage, directing wealth and power, influencing faith and belief, commanding fear and allegiance, provoking wars and conquests, and shaping the world we live in today.
Wilson uncovers the significance of:
• Jerusalem’s complex history and its deep-rooted character as the city of freedom, where people found their spiritual liberty.
• Athens’ intellectual influence as the city of reason and birthplace of democracy.
• Rome’s evolution as the city of law and justice and the freedoms and limitations that come with liberty.
• London’s place in the world’s history as the city of literature where man’s literary imagination found its wings.
• New York’s rise to global fame as the city of commerce and how it triggered unmatched wealth, industry, and trade throughout the world.
In this provocative, discussion-starting book, Wilson dives into these five historic cities, profiling their leaders, exploring their philosophies, following their armies into war, riding their merchant ships to ports of commerce, and watching as one eclipses the others. Through his superb historical writing, Wilson broadens our understanding and appreciation of these cities with piercing insights, curious details, and entertaining stories.
Each city is being included in large part because of what was done and accomplished during its time of greatness, but in larger part because of how that greatness has lingered and continued. Wilson discusses these five cities—their past glories, their present influences, and their future.
In FIVE CITIES THAT RULED THE WORLD, Wilson issues a challenge to our collective understanding of history with the juxtapositions of freedom and its intrinsic failures; liberty and its deep-seated liabilities. Each revelation beckons us deeper into a city’s story, its political systems, and how it flourished and floundered. Ultimately encouraging readers to honor our shared history, contribute to the present, and look to the future with unmistakable hope.
About the Author
Douglas Wilson is a senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College. He has taught both ethics and logic elsewhere at the college level. Editor of Credenda/Agenda, a small cultural journal known for its humorous and satirical flavor, Wilson is also the author of numerous books on education, theology, and culture, including: The Case for Classical Christian Education, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, Mother Kirk, and Angels in the Architecture, as well as biographies on both Anne Bradstreet and John Knox.
DOUGLAS WILSON IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW.
Contact: Curt Harding
Senior Publicist
(615) 902-2246
charding@thomasnelson.com
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