«“Timely, powerful and electrifying. This is a huge exploration of our diverse histories. The story of how we try to carve out societies in a world where they are all predisposed to collapse. This is history and archaeology for now.”—Dan Snow, historian and broadcaster

​“John Darlington takes us on an exhilarating and erudite encounter with ancient and lost peoples and places.”—Loyd Grossman, author of An Elephant in Rome

​“With an expert archaeological eye, John Darlington reveals the very human stories behind awe-inspiring ruins around the world. Ambitious in scope and profound in its conclusions, it charts the changing fortunes of past civilisations and confronts the reality of the future of our own.”—Bettany Hughes, author of Istanbul

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