Bloody History of London: Crime, Corruption and Murder

by John D. Wright

'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.' - Samuel Johnson

From plagues and poverty to financial scandals, serial killers to public executions, mad monarchs to barbaric mental asylums, Bloody History of London reaches deeply into the city’s long history and ranges widely across the social, political and cultural life of the metropolis.

Founded by the Romans and attacked by the Vikings, London grew to become an immense trading city. Included here are tales of medieval torture in the Tower, burnings at the stake during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the merry debauchery of the Restoration and the market crash of the South Sea Bubble. From political skullduggery among the Tudors to the Cold War Profumo scandal and assassination of Georgy Markov, the book is a lively account across almost 2,000 years of London history.

Immensely entertaining and illustrated with 180 colour and black-&-white artworks, Bloody History of London is an engaging and highly informative exploration of the highlights of London lowlife and the depravities of London’s high life.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 14, 2017

About the author

John D. Wright is an American author and editor living in England. He has been a reporter in London for Time and People magazines, covering such subjects as politics and crime. He is the author of several history books, including The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations and The Routledge Encyclopedia of Civil War Era Biographies. Among his other books are Crime Investigation and Unsolved Crimes. He holds the Ph.D. degree in Communications from the University of Texas and has taught writing at three universities.

Reviews

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

This took me a while longer than expected but it was an interesting journey through the darker patches of London's history.

[Louise Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an intriguing book. Took a star off because there was some editing issues.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting snippets about the people and events that shaped London. A look into what life was like in the medieval times up through the Tudor reign and beyond. I learned some things. London definitely had a brutal history.

[Mel Hart]

Great historical insight

[James Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although at times going well outside the bounds of London, a very good survey of crime throughout London's history. Well-illustrated.

[Dee A. Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading English history and this book was very enlightening.

[Nasya]

shockingly interesting

[Ian MacIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. Lots of information about the growth of London, it’s many horror stories, violent residents, and crimes.