Wonders of the World: 100 Great Man-Made Treasures of Civilization

One hundred of the world's most spectacular monuments are described in this book. Enigmatic megaliths, such as Stonehenge in England and the Easter Island statues in the Pacific, invite conjecture but have not yet yielded up their age old secrets. Exquisite edifices, like St. Peter's in Rome, rub shoulders with the surreal structure of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. The stark outline of the Great Pyramid at Giza contrasts with the extravagant opulence of Hearst's Castle at San Simeon, California. Feats of engineering are represented with the Trans-Siberian Railway, the longest rail line in the world, and Japan's Seto Ohashi Suspension Bridge, the cable of which is long enough to circle the globe three times.

Each entry includes location details, a description of the site, a panel of additional information, and large four-color photographs throughout. For easy reference, the book is divided into continents, each with its own location map and introductory feature, and the entries run in chronological sequence within each continent.

Special features on such topics as Houses of God, Islam and Asia, and the New World provide further insight into the historical background to many of the places. Bringing together the best from around the world, this volume is an interesting read, a useful reference and a tantalizing invitation to travel to see these amazing sights at first hand.