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The A-Z History of London
For the last century A-Z maps have been the trusted and reliable source of mapping for Londoners. As the face of London has changed so have the maps. History of Britain in Maps author, Philip Parker, will outline these changes and reveal how the city has changed over the last one hundred years.
Did you know that Wembley Stadium used to be a Greyhound racing circuit? The Millennium Dome is the biggest structure of its kind in the world? The London Eye was not the first big wheel in London.
London’s skyline has gone from Big Ben and Tower Bridge to include the Tate Modern and The Shard. Several ill-fated projects appeared on maps, including London Millennium Tower and The Sparkplug, which never quite made it into the city’s skyline.
Did you know that Wembley Stadium used to be a Greyhound racing circuit? The Millennium Dome is the biggest structure of its kind in the world? The London Eye was not the first big wheel in London.
London’s skyline has gone from Big Ben and Tower Bridge to include the Tate Modern and The Shard. Several ill-fated projects appeared on maps, including London Millennium Tower and The Sparkplug, which never quite made it into the city’s skyline.
- GenresHistory
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 18, 2019
This is a beautifully produced book with a lot of interesting stuff in it.
The first thing to say is that this history of London in maps really only covers the last 100 years, since the A to Z was born. I was a little disappointed to find such a thin covering of London’s rich history before then, but in fairness this is an A to Z history, so I can’t really complain. The bulk of the book is set out in topics like Entertaining London or Moving London which cover the development of a specific aspect of London life over the last 100 years or so. It is all very well researched and in general nicely illustrated with maps from different periods, posters and advertisements and the like, and there are plenty of nuggets of interesting information.
This is very definitely a coffee-table book rather than a serious work of history, but it is well founded in good research. It looks lovely and is very well printed and made. It would make an excellent gift for anyone interested in the history of London and I can recommend it.
The first thing to say is that this history of London in maps really only covers the last 100 years, since the A to Z was born. I was a little disappointed to find such a thin covering of London’s rich history before then, but in fairness this is an A to Z history, so I can’t really complain. The bulk of the book is set out in topics like Entertaining London or Moving London which cover the development of a specific aspect of London life over the last 100 years or so. It is all very well researched and in general nicely illustrated with maps from different periods, posters and advertisements and the like, and there are plenty of nuggets of interesting information.
This is very definitely a coffee-table book rather than a serious work of history, but it is well founded in good research. It looks lovely and is very well printed and made. It would make an excellent gift for anyone interested in the history of London and I can recommend it.
July 2, 2020
Perfunctory at best
As a history book it skims across the bare minimum. As a showcase of London street maps you get occasional excerpts, with no clue which year the historical maps are from, and with little care given to ensuring that the historical and modern maps show the same area, making comparisons largely redundant. Add in some errors that an editor really should've spotted ("'Kind' Edward VI", Down Street tube station being renamed Down Road) and I'm glad I got this free rather than paying for the disappointment!
As a history book it skims across the bare minimum. As a showcase of London street maps you get occasional excerpts, with no clue which year the historical maps are from, and with little care given to ensuring that the historical and modern maps show the same area, making comparisons largely redundant. Add in some errors that an editor really should've spotted ("'Kind' Edward VI", Down Street tube station being renamed Down Road) and I'm glad I got this free rather than paying for the disappointment!
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January 20, 2025This book was great as a history of London, but not great if you're really interested in the A-Z mapping behind it. It was basically just a history of London with some odd maps thrown in for good measure.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews