London: A Life in Maps

by Peter Whitfield

Like all the great historic cities of Europe, London appears to us solid and unchanging. We feel that we can still explore the London of Dickens, Dr. Johnson, Defoe, Wren and even Shakespeare. The very names St. Paul’s, Smithfield, Charing Cross, St. James’s, seem to link us with those past eras. But this solidity is an illusion, for throughout its long history London has been changing and evolving. It has been renewing or replacing the streets and buildings at its heart and has been spreading inexorably outwards. Maps are a vivid illustration of this dynamic process. This book offers a magnificent panorama of London’s history by focusing on its maps. The devastation of the Great Fire; the emergence of the West End as a place of fashion; the opening of the Royal Parks; the building of the docks; the coming of the railway age; the impact of World Wars—all these changes are evident in historic maps. Over 100 important maps from the mid-16th century to the present day are illustrated and discussed. For all those who know and love London, but wish to look behind the modern façade, A Life in Maps will prove irresistible.

Genres: History, London, Nonfiction, Reference, Maps, Travel, British Literature

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2006

Reviews

[MattA · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a cartophile and/or are interested in British history, then this is a book for you.

The book consists of a series of short essays on particular features of London maps and/or the history of London as illustrated by maps. The topics are arranged chronologically and walk the reader through the entire history of the City and the greater metropolitan area. The earlier parts of the book are more map-oriented, while that latter parts of the book (particularly the 20th century sections) lean more toward straight history and are less map-oriented. Still, it was a wonderful read.

[Janice Liedl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your conventional historical narrative, but a lushly illustrated work that leads you through the always fascinating history of this city in maps and photographs. You will see the city in new perspectives thanks to the many historical maps that are employed as well as the informative text that binds the work together. Exquisitely produced, impressively researched and a pleasure to flip through, consider, ponder and explore.

[Brian Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Cycling around London I often think of the various things I learned from this book and how the city developed over time.

[Lowbrow]

The development of London with full-colour historical maps!

Recently I was able to spend three days in London: my first visit there, and too short. This book is my beloved souvenir, which I have been going over with a nit comb since coming back to Australia. It has taken me a long time to read because I’ve had Google Maps and street view up every five minutes for modern comparison views, or a bunch of Wikipedia pages open in tabs for more information.

I did kinda wanna whinge that the maps are too tiny in reproduction, but if they were any bigger I wouldn’t have been able to read it curled up on the couch with a cup of tea.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is packed full of beautiful maps and in depth information about the changing face of London over the centuries.
The early centuries are covered the best, with some lovely reproductions of famous and rarely seen maps, and the author always gives a nice personal touch to the information. He’s not shy at expressing opinions.
The later years rely more on plans and pictures than full maps per se, but still plenty of things to learn.
I’m not a huge officianado of maps as such, but love how they give a nice slant and fresh take on London history, for me anyway.
Recommended for lovers of London history.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fascinating visual history of the development and expansion of London. The maps are well reproduced if a little hard to read.

Most interesting was the way London grew and the buildings that make up the city. The historical part, or rather description, of London's growth was concise, the perfect text for a book that accompanied an exhibit at the British Museum.

[Jonathan Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated trot through London's multifarious history, with an informative and sometimes caustic commentary from the author, this is a fascinating glimpse into the way Britain's capital has developed, layer upon layer, over the centuries, its past still haunting the present in all kinds of extraordinary ways.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me want to go to London even more.

[Hannah (auri.winter) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You like history? You like maps? You like London? Then this is the perfect book for you. This Atlas describes the history of London with maps and text. A very interesting book, with beautiful content

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but my impression is that I didn't quite get it. To help explain my disappointment, a little psychological background may prove helpful. Of all the things on this earth in which I find any fascination, maps rank very high on this list. On the one hand, the meticulous attention to detail is often breathtaking in a well-made map; on the other, many maps go to some effort to be aesthetically pleasing, and the ones that do, do it very well indeed. Also, there's a very great satisfaction from discovering where you are in relation to everything else, getting a sense of your place and what sits within easy reach and what's beyond your immediate field of perception. In short, poring over maps is a visceral experience, the likes of which it's hard to adequately express in a Goodreads review, of all places.

London: A Life in Maps is a publication of the British Library, a collection of essays on the expansion and development of Greater London from the time of Shakespeare to the present day, tied to images of maps in both the Library's collection and in other repositories. Although the maps themselves are fascinating, the photographs often are merely of selected portions thereof, or, in a few cases, lack the resolution to make out relevant details. To the more cartographically-inclined, studying maps carries along with it a certain joy in the discovery of those fine details, which the reproductions often deny you. Ultimately, I felt a little like I had gone to the best Asian fusion restaurant in the country and gotten a hamburger.

The fact that the writing style is a bit on the dry side doesn't help matters. Many of the essays devolve at one point or another into lengthy--and therefore, wholly unnecessary--lists of, for instance, the types of merchants that would frequent Covent Garden, or goods that would come into the East India Docks. The sensation was of someone trying to fill a set amount of space on a topic on which little information was at hand.

So, although I didn't hate this book, I expected something a bit more satisfying. Much of the information is useful, but still, I now know that, if I want what I signed up for, there's no substitute for a visit to the collection.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had amazing illustrations/pictures/maps, and it led me to discover new ways of looking at London. It was more a history of London told through how it was made and laid out, and not so much a history of maps/map-making in the city, but I liked it. It had a lot of info to get through in a short amount of time and I feel he captured it well.

I will say that the author sometimes let his opinion slip into the book, which at times I liked but overall it lessened the historical/scholarly aspect of it. I realize that a lot of the views he expressed (like how the concrete, "modern" buildings built in the 1950s-70s were a terrible thing to happen to the city) were shared by a lot of the public, but it threw me off sometimes.

Overall however I really enjoyed this, and the research into it must have been massive. If you like London and city planning, this is a great first foray into both.

[Anders Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this as it combined two of my favourite things - maps and London - but on reading it it is far more than that and is a great concise history of the capital which is then illustrated by some fascinating maps. Although much of what it told me wasn't new it covered all the key moments and themes in London's history and the accompanying maps help explain them well and make them come to life, although at times its movement from a clear chronology to examining a particular theme over a longer time period was occasionally confusing. Whilst the majority of the book was pretty authoritative I felt the last sections on the twentieth century were let down by a narrative that, unlike the rest of the book, became steadily became more and more opinionated, especially when it came to subjects such as road building and modern architecture.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been studying London history as a hobby, and was so excited when I found this book. The one thing that has been missing from many of the research books I've purchased is maps of the city and neighborhoods.
The problem with this book is that some (not all) of the maps are printed so small that they are impossible to read. The book is filled with great information, so I recommend buying it if you are an enthusiast. But if you intend to look closely at the maps, then order a magnifying glass along with this book.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

c2006: So, I like history and maps and, most especially, all things London. The maps are great although I think I would have preferred an inset highlighting a particular part that would have made it easier to work out. Some of them are very detailed but very small. The maps are well linked to the various historical periods. Definitely recommended. "No one was consulted before Inigo Jones or Wren went to work, or before the aristocratic estates were built up into the West End, or before Nash and the Prince Regent cooked up their plans for London, yet we treasure what they created."

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit of a map nerd, and this was an interesting way to learn about London's history. Not the best way to learn about London if you aren't already familiar with the city, though - I live in east London and found many of the chapters on the west end boring since I don't know the present day area all that well.

Sidenote: this book turned into bathroom reading, and was in fact ideal for the purpose since the chapters are only 1-2 pages long. So there's that.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful coffee table book displaying maps covering all areas of London in exquisite detail. Very interesting to read about and see the history of London developing through the ages to what it is like today. Would make a lovely gift!

[Lainey Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a little repetitious at times but I really enjoy how every bit of history talked about is related to the historical map or drawing.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accessible with some beautiful maps in there. I enjoyed it.

[Danya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maps!

[Jimmie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The evolution of London shown in maps. Loved the Medieval London maps. Fascinating.