Through Time: London: London

by Richard Platt, Manuela Cappon (Illustrator)

From a Neolithic camp to the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics, very few cities have seen as much history, innovation, and bloodshed as London. In Through London - by Richard Platt, illustrated by Manuela Cappon - readers take an historical, geographical, and anthropological journey through London's past through amazing artwork and detailed cross sections. From the earliest habitations to the Roman and Viking invasions, the Plague, Shakespeare, The Great Fire, right up to the Industrial Revolution, the Blitz, and more, readers will uncover layer after layer of London's magnificent history and learn about the people who have called the city home.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books, London

48 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2009

About the author

(1953–)

Richard Platt is the author of more than sixty informative books for young readers, and he also writes for innovative multimedia projects. Some of his most popular works have been collaborations with illustrator Stephen Biesty on the "Cross-Sections" series. After a failed attempt to forge a career as a photographer, Platt discovered that he had a knack for writing. "I started writing about photography: first magazine articles, then books," he explained on the Walker Books Web site. "I got a job editing children's books, then went on to write them."

In the 1990s, Platt teamed up with popular juvenile illustrator Biesty for several books, beginning with Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections Book, published in 1992. The following year, a second volume in the series, Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man-of-War, proved equally interesting for late-elementary-age readers, especially those enchanted by seventeenth-century battleships. Alongside Biesty's cutaway illustrations, Platt provides explanatory text that indicates the purpose and activities in each section of the ship. The hardships of life aboard such vessels for their often 800-member crews are not overlooked, either, and the drawings depict food rations crawling with maggots and a doctor's pail containing severed limbs. Ellen Mandel, writing for Booklist, asserted that Platt's "intriguing text" serves to make "this meticulously presented book a treasure of factual content and visual imagery."

For Stephen Biesty's Incredible Everything, Platt provides informative paragraphs to accompany the illustrations for many everyday products, such as athletic shoes and compact discs. Much of the text revolves around the manufacturing process. Stephen Biesty's Incredible Body is a lesson in human anatomy, with sections on each of the body's systems and several major organs; the digestive system alone takes up four pages. Platt has also worked with the illustrator on Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Castle and Stephen Biesty's Incredible Explosions.

Working with publisher Dorling Kindersley, Platt has authored several titles in their "Eyewitness" series, some of which have appeared in the United States under the Knopf/Borzoi imprint. Pirate details the world of corsairs, privateers, and crime on the high seas throughout history. A reviewer for Science Books and Films, Richard B. Woodbury, praised the work as "a veritable miniencyclopedia or minimuseum" and "a pleasure to look at." Spy chronicles the history of espionage and the decisive role intelligence-gathering triumphs have played in history. Of particular emphasis are the code-breaking endeavors by Allied intelligence networks during World War II. Shipwreck, also part of the "Eyewitness" series, investigates famous sea disasters and rescues. Like the other books in the popular series, Shipwreck is lavishly illustrated. Chris Stephenson, writing in School Librarian, called it "an excellent source of historical evidence and nautical information."

Platt has also written several books about inventions. His The Smithsonian Visual Timeline of Inventions, which appeared in 1994, won praise from reviewers for its comprehensiveness. Platt divides the development of technology throughout the ages into five sections, including agriculture, conquest, and communication. The timeline begins at 600,000 BCE, around the time humans likely began using fire, and includes predictions for innovations that may occur in the near future. Cathryn A. Camper, reviewing The Smithsonian Visual Timeline of Inventions for School Library Journal, praised Platt's skilled use of illustration and text, which the critic felt "teaches a sophisticated form of literacy similar to" that provided with multimedia learning tools—an area in which Platt already had a great deal of writing experience. "Readers will delight in the colorful pictures and the text, which gives just enough information to satisfy curiosity," opined Voice of Youth Advo

Reviews

[Caryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skye & Felix were wary of this one, but the layout was perfect. Together, we scanned each double-page spread about a period of time in London, sharing the little tidbits of information we each found interesting. We had a great discussions about the printing press, the plague, the Great Fire, and the Blitz, and how a city develops and renews itself.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information, but a lot to digest. Some of the illustrations make it hard to judge the scale or exactly what part of the city you are looking at. This is one of those kids' books that are more for the adults--I doubt most kids would sit on your lap while you read them this book. Heck, I put it down 3 times before I finished reading it.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and informative snapshots of the city throughout its history.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressive. Tiny bits of information all over the page, plus a large number of pages dedicated to a glossary. Very difficult to digest.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this. I'm not very imaginative person, so this book is great help for me to put a picture of how London looked like in bygone eras. My only complain is it's not enough! The step between periods is too large. I wish they will make more thicker book with more detailed views of each hundred years (for example).

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was actually expecting a book about the whole city in general, i.e. the attractions, what people do for fun there, common customs there, etc.
Although a good read about the history of how London came to be, I've read better books.

[Treasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book. Twice I almost stopped reading it because I didn't feel like putting in all the effort it took to read the illustrations. The basic text was very interesting and easy to read and understand. Each two-page spread features a London of a different year in history. There are three paragraphs of some sort of informative text to accompany the illustration that takes up the whole two-page spread. Then there are little labels and captions all over the illustrations indicating what various buildings (or sometimes people) are and what their historical significance might be. These little labels can be very interesting, too. But a lot of the time I felt like I was reading a "Where's Waldo?" book and had to examine each illustration for every minute detail to make sure I was getting the whole picture. The facts in the labels sometimes reflect what the three paragraphs on the page discuss, but not always. If one doesn't read all the labels, one is likely to miss something important about that time period in London. Perhaps I was just not in the right mood to read this book... It was very informative and interesting, and the illustrations are beautiful. I was fascinated by the years that the author chose to highlight (some of them were obvious, but others were a little bit baffling until I read the text). Overall, a good book for a child who is interested in history or London or who wants to read a book in which much of the information is told through the illustrations.

[Duane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for anyone interested in the history of London. With amazing illustrations, young readers will spend a lot of time looking through all the pages of complex artwork. A great coffee table size book that will appeal to all ages.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this timeline of the city of London! Starts with a Neolithic settlement circa 3500 BC and continues through historic landmarks (invasions, plague, printing press), showing how each event changed the landscape and culture.

[Sam Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love cross-sections, and I love London, so this one was a no-brainer!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this because I love London! I'd have liked to see more about how the famous landmarks fit in to the history of the city. They were barely mentioned.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully illustrated by Manuela Cappon, and just has to be explored. There is so much to be discovered!

[Jonathan M. Eisenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The real title of this book doesn’t have the word “London” twice in a row.