New Releases by David MacAulay

This illustrated look at nineteenth-century New England architecture was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. This book, from the award-winning author of The Way Things Work, takes readers of all ages on a journey through a fictional mill town called Wicksbridge. With words and pictures, David Macaulay reveals fascinating details about the planning, construction, and operation of the mills—and gives us a powerful sense of the day-to-day lives of Americans in this era. "His imaginary mills in an imaginary town in Rhode Island, and the generations of people who built and ran them, come to life." — The New York Times

"In this wonderfully urbane fantasy" the Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator imagines the process of dismantling the Empire State Building ( Publishers Weekly). The acclaimed author of City and Pyramid now applies his inquisitive mind and stunningly detailed artwork to one of New York''s most iconic buildings. When the Empire State Building is purchased by an eccentric prince who wants to move it to the Arabian Desert, the intricate process of unbuilding begins. Along the way, Macaulay takes young readers on a tour of the skyscraper''s history and architecture and explains the many feats of engineering that went into its construction. His straightforward, informative text is illustrated with "perhaps the finest series of visually expansive, black-and-white perspective drawings, incisive renderings of the skyscraper and its celebrated ''views''" ( The Washington Post).

This illustrated book gives young readers "a breathtaking and entirely original insight " into the complex systems that exist underneath modern cities ( Kirkus, starred review). Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay takes readers on a visual journey through a city''s various support systems—the many tunnels, pipes, walls, and other structures that help sustain the bustling life above. In Underground, Macaulay exposes a typical section of this intricate underground network and explains how it works. Along with his beautiful illustrations, Macaulay presents "a straightforward yet fascinating description of the labyrinth beneath the feet of any city dweller. And what a complex covered world [he] reveals! He invents an intersection of two streets and proceeds to show what we all might find if we dared to descend through that Alice-in-Wonderland manhole" ( The New York Times).

Une ville bien conçue vaut mieux, pour la sécurité et la paix de l''Empire, que deux camps militaires... César savait qu''une Cité ne doit pas être seulement un centre commercial, politique et religieux, mais aussi et surtout un endroit où les gens ont envie de vivre. Les architectes des centaines de villes romaines fondées entre 300 av. J.-C. et 150 ap. J.-C. ont été guidés par cette idée. Comme eux, David Macaulay s''en est inspiré pour dessiner les plans de Verbonia et faire revivre l''effort des hommes et les techniques qui donnèrent, voici 2000 ans, naissance aux villes nouvelles des bâtisseurs romains.

A future archeologist finds the remnants of a mysterious ancient people— us—in a wry satire that is "a marvel of imagination and . . . wonderfully illustrated" ( The New York Times). It is the year 4022, and the entire ancient country of Usa has been buried under many feet of detritus from a catastrophe that occurred back in 1985. Howard Carson, an amateur archeologist, is crossing the perimeter of an abandoned excavation site when he feels the ground give way beneath him. Suddenly, he finds himself at the bottom of a shaft, which, judging from the DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging from an archaic doorknob, is clearly the entrance to a still-sealed burial chamber. Carson''s incredible discoveries, including the remains of two bodies, one laid to rest on a ceremonial bed facing an altar that appeared to be a means of communicating with the Gods and the other lying in a porcelain sarcophagus in the Inner Chamber. These dramatic discoveries give Carson all the clues he needs to piece together the entire civilization—which he gets utterly wrong. The acclaimed author and illustrator of Castle and Pyramid, David Macaulay presents a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek satire of both historical presumption and American self-importance.

Text and detailed drawings follow the planning and construction of a "typical" castle and adjoining town in thirteenth-century Wales.

Text and black-and-white illustrations follow the intricate step-by-step process of the building of an ancient Egyptian pyramid.

Text and black and white illustrations show how the Romans planned and constructed their cities for the people who lived within them.