Mega Builds by Fred Mills is an instant Sunday Times bestseller

Mega Builds: Ten Colossal Construction Projects That Will Change Our World, the debut book by Fred Mills, has become an instant Sunday Times bestseller. 

Published by Penguin Random House on 21 May, the book has rapidly climbed the charts and was one of the bestselling non-fiction books in the UK in its first week of release, according to The Sunday Times. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has described Mega Builds as "a fascinating exploration of the world’s biggest and boldest construction projects", while Mark Cooper-Jones of the Map Men called it "a ceaselessly uplifting and positive book."

Mega Builds was the number one bestselling book in UK independent bookshops during May 2026, according to Bookshop.org. It also entered the bestseller charts at Waterstones, Blackwells and Hive.

Above: Fred Mills, founder of The B1M and author of Mega Builds, at the Hay Festival in Wales on 30 May. Image: Fred Mills. 

Construction is all around us, yet most people barely notice it. The homes we live in, the cities we move through, the infrastructure that keeps the world running: none of it exists by accident. It’s all been designed, engineered, and built.

Known to millions as the founder, face and voice of The B1M, Mills has spent more than a decade visiting some of the largest and most ambitious construction sites on the planet. 

Now, for the first time, he brings those experiences together into a single, sweeping narrative and tells the inside story of ten extraordinary megaprojects that are redefining what’s possible.

Above: Mills has journeyed inside some of the world's biggest construction projects, including the Mont Cenis Base Tunnel (pictured). Image: Fred Mills.

Mills said he "couldn't believe the words he was typing" as he shared news of his book's chart position on social media on Sunday. 

"I set out to get the world to better appreciate and understand construction. It's a been a heck of a journey, but to see the book I wrote about the industry I love become one of the top-selling books in the country is incredibly humbling" he added.

Above: The publication of Mega Builds on 21 May was celebrated with a special event. Image: James Durkin.

The publication of Mega Builds was celebrated in a special event at London's Royal Geographical Society, hosted by BBC star Robin Ince and attended by Mills alongside representatives from two of the projects featured in the book: Sabina Griffith from the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and Jens Villemoes from the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel. 

Some 200 fans and supporters purchased tickets for the event and queued to have their books signed by Mills in a meet-and-greet session afterwards. 

Above: Signed copies of Mega Builds sold-out at Backstory in Balham, London's Independent Bookshop of the Year 2026. Image: Fred Mills.

Positive reviews have been coming in from critics, authors and dedicated readers alike since the book hit the shelves. 

"With more globe-trotting than an international spy and access to structures that would make a Bond villain wince mid-monologue, Mega Builds reveals the feats shaping the 21st century and the mind-boggling world the next generation stands to inherit" said Chris Broad, the bestselling author of Abroad in Japan.

Writer and broadcaster Christian Wolmar called the book "a superb counterpoint to the usual media negativity around big projects that are the product of human ambition".

From record-breaking structures to mind-bending logistics, Mega Builds dives into the data, the details, and the drama behind some of the most jaw-dropping projects on the planet. It’s packed with insight, engineering facts, and the kind of storytelling The B1M is known for, revealing not just what is being built, but why it matters.

Mega Builds: Ten Colossal Construction Projects That Will Change Our World by Fred Mills is available now online and in all major bookstores.