"When the World Trade Center in New York City was erected at the Hudson River's edge, it forever changed the character of the American City. In Divided We Stand Eric Darton chronicles the life of this billion-dollar building, using it as a lens through which to view the broader twentieth century trend toward urbanized, global culture.

Drawing on political, social and personal history, Darton pioneers a new, hybrid genre of architectural biography, revealing the convergence of four volatile elements in contemporary urban life: super-tall buildings, financial speculation, globalization and terrorism."--BOOK JACKET.