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review of “5 Cities that Ruled the World” by Douglas Wilson
5 Cities that Ruled the World is an interesting snapshot into the last few millenia of history told from Douglas Wilson’s point of view. Wilson briefly focuses on what he considers to be the five major cities throughout human history: Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York. This is a good selection, and through each chapter Wilson relates how it is that these cities have impacted the world even into the present day; Jerusalem through “a legacy of the spirit,” Athens through “reason and mind,” Rome through law, London through literature, and New York through “industry and commerce” (xx). As Wilson weaves through these cities’ narratives, he not only picks up major historical turning points as they relate to his categorizations, but he finds a way to deftly weave in points of interest, trivia, and simply entertaining facts. Though I am not entirely certain that each chapter and the information that accompanies them solidify the title of the book, the reader may at least affirm Wilson’s thrust; yes, these cities have been major players in their prime, and have affected our present.
What really threw me for a loop, however, was the epilogue, where Wilson seemingly attempts to bring in the Gospel to this work. I am not against attempting to parallel the Gospel narrative with the world’s geo-political narrative, but whatever he does just doesn’t work. If Wilson had attempted to integrate this material in each chapter, perhaps his purpose would have worked out a bit smoother. Of course, his main thrust was not to detail the rise to power of five cities throughout history in light of the Gospel, so perhaps in the end an epilogue is a fitting place for an author clearly writing from a confessional standpoint, despite the material not necessarily cleanly integrating with this background (though of course Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome work out quite well in this regard).
Overall, this book is well-written and worth the quick read, especially if you just want to feel “up” on your history.
