Even in our age of micro-miracles and astonishing miniaturization, the great works of mankind still retain their capacity to amaze. In making the selection for this volume, many criteria could have been applied with equal credibility. For our present purpose, the definition of what constitutes a 'Wonder' embraces those artifacts which are larger than the human scale, which are the products of the brain and hands of men and women, and which also somehow exemplify a notable landmark in the evolution of a particular genre - be it in the design of great bridges or the history of dams, canals or cathedrals.

List of Contributors

Map

Introduction

Churches, Mosques, Temples & Shrines

 Introduction

1 Hagia Sophia

2 TheTempleatTanjavur

3 TheTemple of Byodo-in

4 St Mark's Cathedral

5 The Leaning Tower of Pisa

6 Chartres Cathedral 

7 King's College Chapel

8 St Peter's Basilica

9 The Mosque of Selim II

10 The Taj Mahal

11 St Paul's Cathedral

12 The Pantheon, Paris

13 The Sagrada Familia

14 The Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut

Palaces & Castles

  Introduction

15 The Alhambra

16 The Forbidden City

17 TheTopkapi Palace

18 The Kremlin

19 The Escorial

20 Versailles

21 The Potala Palace

22 Schloss SchOnbrunn

23 The Winter Palace

24 Neuschwanstein Castle

25 The Viceroy's House, New Delhi

26 La Cuesta Encantada." Hearst's Castle

Public & State Buildings

  Introduction

27 The Houses of Parliament

28 The Crystal Palace

29 The Opera, Paris

30 The Pentagon

31 TheGuggenheim Museum,New York

32 Walt Disney World Resort

33 The Sydney Opera House

34 The Louisiana Superdome

35 The Pompidou Centre

36 Kansai International Airport

37 The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

Towers & Skyscrapers

  Introduction

38 The Washington Monument

39 The Eiffel Tower

40 The Empire State Building

41 The Gateway Arch

42 The World Trade Center

43 The Sears Tower

44 The CN Tower

45 The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank

46 Petronas Towers

47 New York-New York

48 The London Eye

Bridges, Railways & Tunnels

  Introduction

49 The Iron Bridge, Coalbrookdale

50 TheThames Tunnel

51 Brooklyn Bridge

52 The Canadian Pacific Railway

53 The Forth Rail Bridge

54 The Jungfrau Rail System

55 The Moscow Metro

56 The Golden Gate Bridge

57 The Seikan Rail Tunnel

58 The Channel Tunnel

59 The Great Belt East Bridge

60 The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

Canals & Dams

  Introduction

61 The Erie Canal

62 The Suez Canal

63 The Panama Canal

64 Hoover Dam

65 ItaipU Dam

66 The Dutch Sea Barrier

67 TheThree Gorqes Dam

Colossal Statues

  Introduction

68 The Statue of Liberty

69 The Statue of Christ the Redeemer

70 Mount Rushmore

Further Reading

Sources of Illustrations

Index