Since 2009, historian and photographer Philipp Sarasin has been travelling the globe for his visual research on major cities and megacities. He visited Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Cairo, Nairobi, Dubai, Mumbai, Beijing, Jakarta, Panama City, and 10 other places, driven by his search for a relevant photographic image of the world in which we live. It is an urban world for more than half of humanity-and the trend is going up. The Big City features some 120 of Sarasin's colour photographs that are marked by his analytical observing eye. His focus is on urban space with all its images and signs, embedded in the faceless architecture that shapes 21st-century cities. Sarasin's shots are neither architectural photography in the narrow sense nor classic street photography. He follows the tradition of urban photography, inspired in particular by the concepts of artists such as Stephen Shore, Thomas Struth, and Jeff Wall. An essay by architectural historian and curator Martino Stierli and an introduction by Philipp Sarasin supplement the full-page colour plates in this striking volume. Text in English and German. AUTHOR: Philipp Sarasin is a historian and photographer. He is a professor emeritus of modern history at the University of Zurich. SELLING POINTS: . A photographic investigation of architecture, urban structures, and living conditions that shape the lives of more than 50% of the global population . A visual anthology that is unique in terms of geographical range and a topical focus beyond travel photography . Features images of Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Casablanca, Chicago, Dubai, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jinan, Cairo, Cape Town, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Mumbai, Nairobi, New York, Panama City, Shanghai, and Warsaw . Philipp Sarasin's photography is analytical and observational, inspired by the tradition of artistic urban photography 120 colour illustrations