The Story of Utopias is Lewis Mumford’s first book and is an engaging exploration of the development of the concept of Utopia, by one of the foremost historian and social theorists of the 20th century. Mumford begins with a survey of the major utopias, some well-known, others less so. His survey takes a look at Plato’s Republic, More’s Utopia, Andreæ’s Christanopolis, Bacon’s New Atlantis, Campanella’s City of the Sun, Fourier’s Phalanxes, Cabet’s Icaria, Bellamy’s Looking Backward, Morris’ News from Nowhere, and finally H.G. Wells’ utopian fiction. In the final portion of the book Mumford explores the prospects for Utopia and relates it to the realities of urban planning. The Story of Utopias is a great introduction to this fascinating subject.
