London: A History

by Francis Sheppard

"When a man is tired of London," Samuel Johnson noted in 1777, "he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Indeed, for almost two thousand years, London has been the political, cultural, and economic heart of Britain, and one of the great hubs of world affairs.
Now, in this fascinating volume, the doyen of London historians, Francis Sheppard, provides the definitive account of London's diverse past, from its origins as a Roman settlement (founded at the lowest bridgeable point across the Thames) to the world-class metropolis it is today. It provides
a vivid account of a city which was the `deere sweete' place which Chaucer loved more than any other city on earth, which was for Dickens his `magic lantern', and to Keats `a great sea', howling for more wrecks. It is also a story of much contrast and remarkable resilience; through great fires and
pestilence, civil war, and the Blitz, London has rebuilt and reinvented itself for each generation.
"Sheppard is the great authority to whom we all look up," Roy Porter has written. "He has made the history of London his life's work, and I suspect there's no one in the world with so full a knowledge and so rich a grasp as he of sources, physical fabric, and all manner of details." In this
colorful new history, Sheppard takes us on a fascinating voyage through London's past. It is the definitive account of the rise to power of one of the world's great metropolitan centers.

Genres: History, London, British Literature

442 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book blog =====> http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...

Really, 3.5 stars but I am feeling generous and rounding up tonight.

Naturally I found the early sections of the book far more interesting, as they pertained to the periods in England's history that I know and love so well. Unfortunately those sections as a whole only made up the first roughly third of the book, so it took a little more willpower to continue after saying goodbye to my beloved Anglo-Saxons, Plantagenets, and Tudors in regards to their relationships with London. I generally enjoy city biographies but I think what made this one so different for me is that I am also highly interested in very specific time periods in England, so later chapters (mainly from the Stuarts after James I and beyond) felt much heavier and slower to me, despite of course the writing style changing not at all.

It is interesting to me to watch cities slowly evolve into the places we know them as today. Having been to London myself, albeit an incredibly short venture due to a long delay out of Edinburgh, I can't even imagine it being anything than the bustling city it is today. I can't wait to go back and spend the time there that the city deserves, to see all the places still standing where so many of these great and terrible leaders stood, worked, slept, etc.

While the Victorian and Edwardian eras were more than a bit sluggish for me, my interest was piqued at the transformation of the city during the German air raids of WWII. So much of my past study of WWII focused on Germany, I truly had no idea the devastation and loss of life inflicted on London. It amazes me that so many palaces and castles survived, while countless citizens were left homeless. I can't even imagine sleeping in a bunk bed in the subway. Like many, I might've just taken the risk of sleeping at home.

Overall, this is a highly researched, thus very academic, work. At times even the periods of most interest to me were dry. Still, it's very informative and I can say I do recommend it.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a history of the city of London from Roman times to 1997. I picked it up because I am visiting the city very soon and wanted to have a greater understanding of the city. Though I am a big royal history buff, there was a great deal I never knew about London before reading this book, especially the early history and the life of the common people. I found the politics to be fascinating. I did find the book to be a bit too detailed and repetitive in some places, but overall a pretty solid history of the city.

[Markku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate history of London, I guess. But no delight to read. Dry, very very dry tory-like official history.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a concise, one volume history of the city of London, very much in the "Annales" school of history. What is "annales" mean in the context of history:

[R]elegated the sensational to the sidelines and was reluctant to give a simple accounting of events, but strived on the contrary to pose and solve problems and, neglecting surface disturbances, to observe the long and medium-term evolution of economy, society and civilization.

Basically, it's history without people. The Annales approach focuses on concrete observations about material culture/geography/archaeology and foregoes the "great men" approach and very much has a lesser opinion of intellectual history based on documents.

I appreciate the approach and the conciseness of the book, but in my opinion the most interesting part of london involves the intellectual history and the personalities, so over all the book was a bit of a mixed bag in terms of my satisfaction. This is a book meant for the general reader who is familiar with the general sweep of English history.

[Candy Wood]

Francis Sheppard covers an amazing amount of London's history in under 500 pages, including several maps and black and white plates that provide more than the usual views. In addition, he identifies his sources, so that readers can find out more detail by consulting them (though the organization in cryptic endnotes and bibliography divided by the book's six sections makes finding the complete information a bit challenging). Throughout, he is interested in the relationship between London and the rest of England, as well as in the problems resulting from the division of government between City and Westminster. In each section, he pays attention to social history--religion, education, recreation--as well as politics and the economy, and he does note in passing what historical landmarks can still be seen. Comparisons with Paris also show how London is unique, so that even though he is aware of problems confronting the modern city, he still celebrates it. Impressive achievement.

[Brian Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheppard examines the genesis of London starting in ancient times and concludes his history of London at 1997. An extensive text book on the city of London, its rulers, peoples, buildings, inventions, plagues, occupations, and more. Though it is only around three hundred and sixty or so odd pages, it is packed with information for anyone who wants a more through look at London and its relations with the rest of the world.

[Mark Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great and fascinating book, but slightly too academic for me really and I found it tiresome and weighty towards the end. But it was a fine book to dip into over time and it is very well written and researched.