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Londonopolis: A Curious History of London
This curious history of London whisks you down the rabbit hole and into the warren of backstreets, landmarks, cemeteries, palaces, markets, museums and secret gardens of the great metropolis. Meet the cockneys, politicians, fairies, philosophers, gangsters and royalty that populate the city, their stories becoming curiouser and curiouser as layers of time and history are peeled back.
Find out which tube station once housed the Elgin Marbles and what lies behind a Piccadilly doorway that helped Darwin launch his theory of evolution and caused the Swedes to wage war against Britain. Do you believe in fairies? Do you know which Leadenhall site became a Nag's Head tavern, morphing into the mighty East India Company, before taking flight as the futuristic Lloyds Building? Who named the Natural History Museum's long-tailed dinosaur Mr Whippy?
Spanning above and below ground, from the outer suburbs to the inner city, and from the medieval period to the modern day, Londonopolis is a celebration of the weird and the wonderful that makes the mysterious city of London so magical.
Find out which tube station once housed the Elgin Marbles and what lies behind a Piccadilly doorway that helped Darwin launch his theory of evolution and caused the Swedes to wage war against Britain. Do you believe in fairies? Do you know which Leadenhall site became a Nag's Head tavern, morphing into the mighty East India Company, before taking flight as the futuristic Lloyds Building? Who named the Natural History Museum's long-tailed dinosaur Mr Whippy?
Spanning above and below ground, from the outer suburbs to the inner city, and from the medieval period to the modern day, Londonopolis is a celebration of the weird and the wonderful that makes the mysterious city of London so magical.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2014
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353 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 20, 2022
I liked Londonopolis more than I thought I would. This kind of bits and bobs history can be dull with a pedestrian author. Here it was nicely written with a light touch interspersed with the author’s own history, also well done. As the author says, the book can be read here and there, dropped and then picked up and read in any order. It’s not written by location but roughly covers early London to modern times with some exceptions. A Thames interlude winds things up with a ribbon of continuity.
Latham has a lifetime history of working for Waterstones and like a good bookseller has diverse knowledge and knows a range of people. Sometimes he’s opiniated and I loved that. Not everything is routine and old hat. I didn’t know anything about the East India Company (EIC) outside of its story in India itself. Latham relates information that shows it to have been progressive as far as HR and benefits for its employees and also claims the real colonial heavy hand in India came after the government took over from EIC. Maybe??
So much info; such a little book. Among topics are pre Roman life, medieval life, theater, alchemy, the Natural History Museum and many more. Perhaps my favorite chapter deals with brutalist architecture. Latham definitely has an opinion here. Featured are seven top modernists who built what he thinks are concrete eyesores usually with poor design and instantly degrading materials, unlovable and unlivable buildings. Six of the big seven lived in attractive rural or suburban Tudor mansions or country estates full of art and antiques with gorgeous green spaces. Not right!
Latham has a lifetime history of working for Waterstones and like a good bookseller has diverse knowledge and knows a range of people. Sometimes he’s opiniated and I loved that. Not everything is routine and old hat. I didn’t know anything about the East India Company (EIC) outside of its story in India itself. Latham relates information that shows it to have been progressive as far as HR and benefits for its employees and also claims the real colonial heavy hand in India came after the government took over from EIC. Maybe??
So much info; such a little book. Among topics are pre Roman life, medieval life, theater, alchemy, the Natural History Museum and many more. Perhaps my favorite chapter deals with brutalist architecture. Latham definitely has an opinion here. Featured are seven top modernists who built what he thinks are concrete eyesores usually with poor design and instantly degrading materials, unlovable and unlivable buildings. Six of the big seven lived in attractive rural or suburban Tudor mansions or country estates full of art and antiques with gorgeous green spaces. Not right!
December 5, 2014
Quick, think about London. Chances are you've thought about a million fascinating things all at once. Think of all London's captivating, deep, grisly and exciting history, spanning thousands of years of war, peace, art, music; now imagine that history told by the most boring person you know. Congratulations, you now know what it was like to read Martin Latham's Londonopolis.
The draw of this book was its subtitle: A Curious History of London. It makes it sound like the reader will be treated to some little known stories about the city and its inhabitants. Instead, we are treated to a bland retelling of some of London's more general history. There are glimpses of fascinating stories, but many of them are not further developed, or given a proper context for the reader to engage with.
Latham draws you in with a catchy blurb. “Which tube station once housed the Elgin Marbles? What lies behind a Piccadilly doorway that helped Darwin launch his theory of evolution? And who named the Natural History Museum's long-tailed dinosaur Mr. Whippy?” With a draw like that, who wouldn't want to pick up this book? The Elgin Marbles gets a short paragraph about wartime London, the section on Darwin is admittedly one of the most interesting parts of this book, but the door is nowhere near as mysterious as it sounds and is in fact a mundane part of history. I worked at the Natural History Museum until recently, and I'd never, ever heard the Dinosaur in the great hall named Mr. Whippy. So I thought maybe Latham knew something I didn't. I skipped straight to that page with anticipation only to find one sentence in the introduction to its section stating “We all love the huge blue whale model, and the long-tailed dinosaur dominating the entrance hall – which is affectionately called Mr Whippy (or similar).” That was it. So, for all that Latham told me I'm simply under the impression that he's just got it wrong. The Dinosaur in the great hall with the long tail is called Dippy...because he's a Diplodocus (I'd also like to note that I even checked with three of my former colleagues to find out whether any of them had ever heard him called 'Mr Whippy'. The answer was a resounding no). So either he's actually privy to some information that I was not and found it unnecessary to share or he was just plain wrong. I'd like to think it was the former, however that is something that this book suffers from all the way through. It throws interesting information at you, and then fails to follow through with any context or explanation, instead choosing to focus on the mundane aspects of London history.
One of my other bugbears came at the end of this book, where Latham starts speaking about his own family history. I can understand writing of your father with reverence, but it is unfitting for an academic to describe Dowsing as anything other that pseudo-science, with very little basis in reality. Latham instead writes longer than any other section of his book about his father's abilities as a Dowser and how he was accurate and talented and his brother also shares the 'talent'. Many studies have been done in to Dowsing and those who claim to have a 'talent' for finding water, however none have been proven to have any more accuracy than sheer chance. Dowsing has a fascinating history, and it's a really interesting topic, but it shouldn't be represented as reality by a serious academic.
This book wasn't all bad, there were some genuinely interesting parts. I especially enjoyed the sections on Darwin and Eleanor Marx. However, my overall impression was of a book that was underdeveloped, wrongly represented, and not all that interesting. There are so many fascinating stories in London, like the Café Nero on Great Tower Street heading away from Monument Station toward the Tower of London with a little statue of a mouse on it with a fascinating back story, or the horrible and ethically debated history of the Skeleton of Charles Byrne the 'Irish Giant' which is contentiously still on display at the Hunterian Museum, or even the incomparable Dennis Severs' House which acts as a 'still life' time capsule created by its eccentric owner for any who walk through its doors and wish to be transported.
This book managed to be interesting because its subject matter was interesting. But in more capable hands it could have been much, much more.
The draw of this book was its subtitle: A Curious History of London. It makes it sound like the reader will be treated to some little known stories about the city and its inhabitants. Instead, we are treated to a bland retelling of some of London's more general history. There are glimpses of fascinating stories, but many of them are not further developed, or given a proper context for the reader to engage with.
Latham draws you in with a catchy blurb. “Which tube station once housed the Elgin Marbles? What lies behind a Piccadilly doorway that helped Darwin launch his theory of evolution? And who named the Natural History Museum's long-tailed dinosaur Mr. Whippy?” With a draw like that, who wouldn't want to pick up this book? The Elgin Marbles gets a short paragraph about wartime London, the section on Darwin is admittedly one of the most interesting parts of this book, but the door is nowhere near as mysterious as it sounds and is in fact a mundane part of history. I worked at the Natural History Museum until recently, and I'd never, ever heard the Dinosaur in the great hall named Mr. Whippy. So I thought maybe Latham knew something I didn't. I skipped straight to that page with anticipation only to find one sentence in the introduction to its section stating “We all love the huge blue whale model, and the long-tailed dinosaur dominating the entrance hall – which is affectionately called Mr Whippy (or similar).” That was it. So, for all that Latham told me I'm simply under the impression that he's just got it wrong. The Dinosaur in the great hall with the long tail is called Dippy...because he's a Diplodocus (I'd also like to note that I even checked with three of my former colleagues to find out whether any of them had ever heard him called 'Mr Whippy'. The answer was a resounding no). So either he's actually privy to some information that I was not and found it unnecessary to share or he was just plain wrong. I'd like to think it was the former, however that is something that this book suffers from all the way through. It throws interesting information at you, and then fails to follow through with any context or explanation, instead choosing to focus on the mundane aspects of London history.
One of my other bugbears came at the end of this book, where Latham starts speaking about his own family history. I can understand writing of your father with reverence, but it is unfitting for an academic to describe Dowsing as anything other that pseudo-science, with very little basis in reality. Latham instead writes longer than any other section of his book about his father's abilities as a Dowser and how he was accurate and talented and his brother also shares the 'talent'. Many studies have been done in to Dowsing and those who claim to have a 'talent' for finding water, however none have been proven to have any more accuracy than sheer chance. Dowsing has a fascinating history, and it's a really interesting topic, but it shouldn't be represented as reality by a serious academic.
This book wasn't all bad, there were some genuinely interesting parts. I especially enjoyed the sections on Darwin and Eleanor Marx. However, my overall impression was of a book that was underdeveloped, wrongly represented, and not all that interesting. There are so many fascinating stories in London, like the Café Nero on Great Tower Street heading away from Monument Station toward the Tower of London with a little statue of a mouse on it with a fascinating back story, or the horrible and ethically debated history of the Skeleton of Charles Byrne the 'Irish Giant' which is contentiously still on display at the Hunterian Museum, or even the incomparable Dennis Severs' House which acts as a 'still life' time capsule created by its eccentric owner for any who walk through its doors and wish to be transported.
This book managed to be interesting because its subject matter was interesting. But in more capable hands it could have been much, much more.
September 11, 2018
Nearly unable to put it down, I blew through this book in only two sittings. Full of so many interesting factoids, I often went to Google places, people, and things referenced to learn more.
December 31, 2019
A great book for the turn of the year, with a cat in your lap and hot chocolate by your side. Though Latham occasionally lashes out (at secret prisons and Brutalist builders), this book is really about the quirky, mystic, and peaceful places and people of London. Sometimes he’s the tiniest bit twee, but eventually you will be charmed. And though its history is random and scattershot, I loved learning about Grinling Gibbons and the ancient rivers of London. Happy New Year, everyone!
January 23, 2015
This is the sort of book to provoke irritation, annoyance and, finally, someone coming for your throat, teeth bared as they scream, "I can't take any more!"
What they can't take any more is the endless stream of curious facts that you (or indeed I) emerge from toilet or bathroom spouting, things like, "Did you know that Peter the Great lived in Deptford and learned shipbuilding there?" or, "Did you know the working day of the East India Company was 9am to 3pm?", or, "Did you know the cursus at Heathrow is so long and straight people thought it was a Roamn road?" and, finally provoking murderous rage, "Did you know a cursus is a long, straight track with raised banks on either side?" After such a barrage of post latrine and post bath facts, I think any jury would rightly find the accused not guilty, and arraign the author before a court on a charge of overloading the voluble with curious facts, in which case he would surely be found guilty.
So, there you have it: Londonopolis, read it - in bath or toilet or similar dip-into venue - at your peril: you're sure to emerge to amaze your family and friends with so much London lore that they will, in the end, kill you - thus adding a whole new chapter to the second edition!
What they can't take any more is the endless stream of curious facts that you (or indeed I) emerge from toilet or bathroom spouting, things like, "Did you know that Peter the Great lived in Deptford and learned shipbuilding there?" or, "Did you know the working day of the East India Company was 9am to 3pm?", or, "Did you know the cursus at Heathrow is so long and straight people thought it was a Roamn road?" and, finally provoking murderous rage, "Did you know a cursus is a long, straight track with raised banks on either side?" After such a barrage of post latrine and post bath facts, I think any jury would rightly find the accused not guilty, and arraign the author before a court on a charge of overloading the voluble with curious facts, in which case he would surely be found guilty.
So, there you have it: Londonopolis, read it - in bath or toilet or similar dip-into venue - at your peril: you're sure to emerge to amaze your family and friends with so much London lore that they will, in the end, kill you - thus adding a whole new chapter to the second edition!
March 14, 2018
I enjoyed dipping into this at bedtime. A pretty basic overview. For example the 'lost' underground stations chapter was a very basic and short collection of quotes and descriptions from other sources. There was a fair amount of personal family history that didn't belong thrown into this book. I mean, a whole section on his father dowsing? Interesting? yes. Did it belong? No. Also some weird musings on the mystical nature of the Thames river as a personified being. Still, overall a relaxing little collection about London.
October 27, 2018
I have lived in London all my life. And Martin Latham has made me understand how little I have appreciated that privilege. Latham is blessed with a deep sense of the presence of souls that have lived in London since the Neanderthal era and this book includes insights into Medieval London, the Tudors, the Victorians and even larger than life characters of the 20th Century - Latham somehow brings them to life almost as if he is aware, in a way that I have not been, that they are all still present.
He hints at this by suggesting that we go and look at the twinkling eyes of Shakespeare in The National Portrait Gallery or seek out a Gibbons carving from the seventeenth century at St. James’ Church Piccadilly. Personally, I’ve been in this church a hundred times and, till now, I’ve never know of this carving.
Latham becomes a Prospero, and, disguising his magic in what appears to be a simple book about the history of London, each place we are taken to becomes a portal for time travel - or so it feels. He writes of the mystical, the magical and the spiritual - all the time maintaining his assumed role of dry historian. His effortless magic must have confused many readers.
One of the best examples of the mystical disguised as the everyday is where he takes us to locations in London where a range of characters; Chaucer, Handel, Keats, Wordsworth and even Virginia Woolf among them have experienced a ‘sense of immanence’ which he describes as places where a ‘profound sense of wellbeing’ has been experienced. A more pretentious writer may have called these, ‘moments of enlightenment’ but, whilst hinting at the nature of such experiences, Latham simultaneously abbreviates them to ‘P.S.W.B.’ moments. So he leads us into a portal but still insists that we keep our feet on the ground.
Then he throws in an excellent ghost story - continuing to hint that there maybe more to London than meets the eye (adding a good number of dates to keep up the disguise of being a historian) and ends the book by telling us that the Sikhs and the Hindus are trying to re-claim the Thames as a sacred river - as it once was and as the Ganges still is.
I close this book realising that I’ve lived in the great capital all my life - and missed it. But now I’ll look again. Ten stars - I’m only allowed five. The other five are here - you just can’t see them.
He hints at this by suggesting that we go and look at the twinkling eyes of Shakespeare in The National Portrait Gallery or seek out a Gibbons carving from the seventeenth century at St. James’ Church Piccadilly. Personally, I’ve been in this church a hundred times and, till now, I’ve never know of this carving.
Latham becomes a Prospero, and, disguising his magic in what appears to be a simple book about the history of London, each place we are taken to becomes a portal for time travel - or so it feels. He writes of the mystical, the magical and the spiritual - all the time maintaining his assumed role of dry historian. His effortless magic must have confused many readers.
One of the best examples of the mystical disguised as the everyday is where he takes us to locations in London where a range of characters; Chaucer, Handel, Keats, Wordsworth and even Virginia Woolf among them have experienced a ‘sense of immanence’ which he describes as places where a ‘profound sense of wellbeing’ has been experienced. A more pretentious writer may have called these, ‘moments of enlightenment’ but, whilst hinting at the nature of such experiences, Latham simultaneously abbreviates them to ‘P.S.W.B.’ moments. So he leads us into a portal but still insists that we keep our feet on the ground.
Then he throws in an excellent ghost story - continuing to hint that there maybe more to London than meets the eye (adding a good number of dates to keep up the disguise of being a historian) and ends the book by telling us that the Sikhs and the Hindus are trying to re-claim the Thames as a sacred river - as it once was and as the Ganges still is.
I close this book realising that I’ve lived in the great capital all my life - and missed it. But now I’ll look again. Ten stars - I’m only allowed five. The other five are here - you just can’t see them.
July 30, 2022
So I’ve finally finished this non-fiction book. With non-fiction I either read from start to finish non-stop, or just have nearby and pick up occasionally. At over 4 years, this is a book that I picked up VERY occasionally.
At its best there’s some lovely bits of history and poetic sentences in this book that really make you engaged and interested in visiting/learning more about certain areas of London.
At its worst it’s inconsistent. People are mentioned with either a date of death only or no dates at all, sometimes you get a birth and death date. For a history book this is really frustrating, I don’t know about Maher, so when he’s mentioned when was he born, when did he die? Where does he fit in? This is compounded by the very loose chronology of the book and lots of time hopping on certain facts and trivia.
Recommended?:
Overall it’s an interesting little book with lots of lovely little sketches that make it visually interesting amongst the short paragraphs of trivia and history. Due to its sometimes frustrating lack of consistency in how it details individuals, eras, locations it can lose the reader if there’s not already a basic knowledge of the areas covered.
At its best there’s some lovely bits of history and poetic sentences in this book that really make you engaged and interested in visiting/learning more about certain areas of London.
At its worst it’s inconsistent. People are mentioned with either a date of death only or no dates at all, sometimes you get a birth and death date. For a history book this is really frustrating, I don’t know about Maher, so when he’s mentioned when was he born, when did he die? Where does he fit in? This is compounded by the very loose chronology of the book and lots of time hopping on certain facts and trivia.
Recommended?:
Overall it’s an interesting little book with lots of lovely little sketches that make it visually interesting amongst the short paragraphs of trivia and history. Due to its sometimes frustrating lack of consistency in how it details individuals, eras, locations it can lose the reader if there’s not already a basic knowledge of the areas covered.
May 3, 2021
A very entertaining pick 'n' mix of London history, only tarnished by the 'eminent' author's clear 'right on' (wokey?) credentials, frequently bordering on frothy-mouthed tirades! For all his alleged cockney roots, he seems much more comfortable with his NW postal-code acquaintances (wine-quaffing, europhile Corbynites!) than the (beery) Brexiteer riff-raff from the bottom of the odiferous pile south of the river! (Me!)
As a un-Blue Badged! London tourist guide & L.S.E. history graduate/teacher myself, I appreciated some excellent & amusing anecdotes & little-known 'factettes'; but I was disappointed with reading that Comrade Latham has worked for free-market Waterstone's! No wonder, in my days working for that illustrious chain, I often ended up on the wrong side of the other, erudite members of staff ('let go' twice!). I was far too 'down market' for them...a Londoner who still uses rhyming slang! Would you Adan & Eve it?!...
As a un-Blue Badged! London tourist guide & L.S.E. history graduate/teacher myself, I appreciated some excellent & amusing anecdotes & little-known 'factettes'; but I was disappointed with reading that Comrade Latham has worked for free-market Waterstone's! No wonder, in my days working for that illustrious chain, I often ended up on the wrong side of the other, erudite members of staff ('let go' twice!). I was far too 'down market' for them...a Londoner who still uses rhyming slang! Would you Adan & Eve it?!...
October 8, 2020
There's something very entertaining about this book which just leads from strange tale to strange tale with very little attempt to tie it together. As the author suggests, it would probably make a good toilet book to dip in and out of.
Sadly, some of it is not very accurate. Parts are just downright wrong. There's also a very strange anti-religious feeling throughout. Any religious ideas are seemingly dismissed as nonsense, before the author spends a chapter explaining the wonders of dowsing...
Essentially a fun book which the author has slightly tarnished with occasionally poor research and some unkindly expressed opinions.
Sadly, some of it is not very accurate. Parts are just downright wrong. There's also a very strange anti-religious feeling throughout. Any religious ideas are seemingly dismissed as nonsense, before the author spends a chapter explaining the wonders of dowsing...
Essentially a fun book which the author has slightly tarnished with occasionally poor research and some unkindly expressed opinions.
November 3, 2018
Neither a plain history book or travel book, Londonopolis tells interesting stories about different people and places in the city's history. Many interesting tidbits.
I found the story-like format didn't allow for in depth explanations, but I think it accomplished what it set out to accomplish.
I noted one factual error on page 47. While Latham writes that alum is an anti-coagulant, it is actually a pro-coagulant. I'm surprised the editors didn't catch it because the sentence doesn't make sense as it is currently written.
I found the story-like format didn't allow for in depth explanations, but I think it accomplished what it set out to accomplish.
I noted one factual error on page 47. While Latham writes that alum is an anti-coagulant, it is actually a pro-coagulant. I'm surprised the editors didn't catch it because the sentence doesn't make sense as it is currently written.
July 28, 2018
A quick, interesting read. Quirky history of London ....Some parts were much more interesting than others. What I loved about this book was the paper (very thick) and the page placement. Seriously, the binding of this book was so comfortable to hold that it made the book a joy to pick up and read. Would I recommend? Probably not unless you know London then it would be fun.
October 9, 2020
Interesting tidbits about the city of London, but ultimately doesn't really keep your attention ; plus the author is prone to name-dropping (which are on the more obscure end of the fame scale), and inserts himself into the book unnecessarily. There was potential for this to be wider in scope but it misses the mark .
January 23, 2019
I rather enjoyed this book and was shocked at the amount of authentic knowledge the author possessed about London and its connections with other world cultures.
The word choice, the quick read paragraphs, interesting illustrations made it a pleasure to swift through over a cup of coffee.
The word choice, the quick read paragraphs, interesting illustrations made it a pleasure to swift through over a cup of coffee.
December 31, 2023
A charming little book, full of insight and anecdote, often from his own experience. A quirky revelation on each beautifully illustrated page.
It's been my bathroom book for some weeks - a fortunate coincidence that I turned the last pages today, enabling me to hit my target for 2023.
It's been my bathroom book for some weeks - a fortunate coincidence that I turned the last pages today, enabling me to hit my target for 2023.
March 26, 2017
If you like history, this book is full of interesting quirky facts. It's an easy read. The author has a sense of humor and it comes through in his writing.
February 3, 2018
Thrilled I finally got to read through this whole book! It reignited my love of history and curious fun facts
February 7, 2018
very interesting read, discovered so many wonderful facts and trinkets of london! would definitely recommend.
April 30, 2018
I enjoyed this rather off-beat view of London, which is easily my favourite city.
September 4, 2019
Fun book filled with interesting facts about London. I read it cover to cover but you could also pick it up and just chose random chapters to read, they don’t need to be in order to be enjoyed.
April 23, 2020
Charming book that tells little known stories about London through the centuries. Humorous but factual.
March 21, 2021
A different take on the history of London.
August 28, 2021
A very interesting read and some quirky facts about London, its inhabitants, visitors, companies and bookshops
September 26, 2023
A fun and interesting look at the often hidden parts of London’s history
April 11, 2024
“I wish I could dowse, but I think too much”. Loved it.
June 26, 2025
I love how the author connects obscure and more known historical moments and happenings and places. Really makes for fun reading.
March 17, 2015
Londonopolis is mostly an intriguing little book, full of quirky anecdotes about a city atypical and yet of such historic importance to Britain, which the author clearly adores. Although it falls into traps of popular history, such as the anachronistic description of William II as a 'dandy' and comparing him to Johnny Depp, the book is a fun and inconsequential little read.
However, I did feel the book was very much let down by its section on the twentieth century. Rather than adopting even a pretence of historical analysis, the author chooses to present a warm-hearted, nostalgic image of his own past and that of his family, instead displaying a middle class world view of London rather than embracing the kaleidoscope of cultures that live within the shared space. The book therefore ends on a disappointing note, and I feel the concluding section on the Thames could easily have been accomplished with more breadth whilst maintaining brevity.
However, I did feel the book was very much let down by its section on the twentieth century. Rather than adopting even a pretence of historical analysis, the author chooses to present a warm-hearted, nostalgic image of his own past and that of his family, instead displaying a middle class world view of London rather than embracing the kaleidoscope of cultures that live within the shared space. The book therefore ends on a disappointing note, and I feel the concluding section on the Thames could easily have been accomplished with more breadth whilst maintaining brevity.
April 23, 2015
I love London. Living there helped. While I don't have the money to hope on a plane and gallivant across the city, I find comfort in books like these that bring me there. Part history, part travelogue, part memoir--this book has a little bit for everyone.
Special props to the last section which surveys the beautiful Thames, giving me context for the rivers that I discovered in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series.
At times a bit too eclectic, this is a compelling read for any Anglophile and an interesting love letter to one of the world's greatest cities.
Special props to the last section which surveys the beautiful Thames, giving me context for the rivers that I discovered in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series.
At times a bit too eclectic, this is a compelling read for any Anglophile and an interesting love letter to one of the world's greatest cities.
December 17, 2016
For a book premised as "a curious history of London," I found this for the most part to be surprisingly dull. It had a few interesting facts early on, but by the sections on the modern era, I was largely uninterested in what I was reading. I'll be going to London next spring, and I've been searching for an interesting, well-written, history of London, in order to have some context for what I see, and also to come across some interesting places/history/facts to seek out while I'm there. This book definitely didn't satisfy that and the search continues.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews