Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee NewitzMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
My mom once told me she wished she could have been an archaeologist. It seemed fitting to listen to Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age written by Annalee Newitz and narrated by Chloe Cannon as I drove her ashes to their final resting place in Illinois. Our final road trip was an emotional journey. Mom stoked my passion for far away places and Annalee's book was like a salve on the open wound of my heart, a reminder that nothing is ever truly lost.
Growing up in Illinois, I had heard of Cahokia. I was surprised to learn that the pictures I'd seen of grass-covered mounds are not exactly historically accurate. I remember being a little bit obsessed with Pompeii after reading a National Geographic article about it. My mom helped me do a class project on the city, complete with stunning pictures of ashen remains. Not surprisingly, the section on Pompeii was my favorite. I still find that place fascinating after all these years. I've heard plenty about Angkor and have friends that have visited. My own planned trip was thwarted by avian flu, back when we thought that was one of the worst things you could get. Maybe I will still make it there one day. Çatalhöyük was new to me but really set the stage for the book.
This book has a lot to offer to a wide variety of readers. Annalee does a great job of explaining the science and technology used to uncover these cities in a way that someone without any background in the field can understand. Travel, history, anthropology, and archaeology buffs will enjoy it.
Bonus points to Chloe Cannon for pronouncing all those words without missing a beat. Quite a feat!
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment