The Urban Sea: Cities of the Mediterranean by Dennis Hardy

The Mediterranean is an urban sea . . .

Some of the world's most famous cities are clustered in this remarkably compact area. They have extraordinary stories to tell. From the earliest stirrings of civilization in the region, to the Arab Spring, these coastal cities have been on the frontline of change. Little has passed them by.

Where else can one find such a long history of human development, measured in millennia? Where else, too, is there a comparable mixing of cultures, a product of the unique location of the Mediterranean at the crossroads of three of the world's continents? And in what other region do cities continue to feature with such regularity in the world's press?

In this modern odyssey, the reader is invited to trace the shoreline of the Mediterranean from its meeting with the Atlantic in the west, to the Levant in the east; from the lands of southern Europe across the sea, to the deserts of North Africa. As well as offering individual insights of particular places, the combined experience tells a remarkable story of cities in a part of the world where change itself is a by-word.

Dennis Hardy's book will appeal to visitors and others who want to know more about the region: the millions who live there and the English-speaking diaspora in North America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Students of the Mediterranean and related studies will welcome the text to set their subjects in context, while tourism managers and urban development corporations promoting their various cities will find much that is relevant to their work. It is authoritative but easy to read, and is illustrated with more than 160 specially commissioned photographs.

Published in 2013
ISBN 978-0-9575685-0-1
Available from bookshops, Amazon, Waterstones, and other major online retailers.