This is an illustrated story of when New York reached for the skies; the story of an American icon! It was 1929 and the race was on to put up the tallest building in the world. Less than two years later, the Empire State Building was completed and the race was over. This book tracks this wonder of modern architecture, the human stories behind the engineering wizardry, and the historical background of the Great Depression. It is illustrated throughout with detailed colour artwork by Alan Witschonke and photographs by Lewis Hine. It is part of the "Wonders of the World" - the award-winning series that tells the stories behind humanity's most extraordinary creations.