This is a really interesting study, part of an OU course on the history of technology and science, but is available through booksellers as a standalone. I wouldn't say buy it, not at the quoted price, but well worth a borrow from a library. It goes back to the very earliest cities known, in the near East, and extends to cover Europe, the Americas, China and Africa, coming up to the early modern period, showing how the associated technologies changed and developed. Topics covered include building techniques, water and food supplies, communications, warfare and defence. 368pp, many illustrations, maps and diagrams; references; index. There is a "reader" to accompany this book, also 28.99 GBP, which contains a representative selection of the original texts drawn on, in translation.