亞曆剋斯·馬歇爾（Alex Marshall），美國《紐約城市》雜誌的獨立撰稿人，匹茲堡卡由基梅隆大學政治經濟學和西班牙語雙科學士，紐約哥倫比亞大學新聞學碩士。他是《紐約城市》雜誌地區規劃委員會的資深會員，他的工作曾被《紐約時代雜誌》、《大都市》、《沙龍》等眾多媒體報道。

The pulse of great cities may be most palpable above ground, but it is below the busy streets where we can observe their rich archaeological history and the infrastructure that keeps them running. In Beneath the Metropolis journalist Alex Marshall investigates how geological features, archaeological remnants of past civilizations, and layered networks transporting water, electricity, and people, have shaped these cities through centuries of political turbulence and advancements in engineering — and how they are determining the course of the cities' future. From the first-century catacombs of Rome, the New York subway system, and the swamps and ancient quays beneath London, to San Francisco's fault lines, the depleted aquifer below Mexico City, and Mao Tse-tung's extensive network of secret tunnels under Beijing, these subterranean environments offer a unique cross-section of a city's history and future. Stunningly illustrated with colorful photographs, drawings, and maps, Beneath the Metropolis reveals the hidden worlds beneath our feet, and charts the cities' development through centuries of forgotten history, political change, and technological innovation.