A Short History of London
-
-
3.4 • 20 Ratings
-
-
- £7.99
-
- £7.99
Publisher Description
Brought to you by Penguin.
LONDON: a settlement founded by the Romans, occupied by the Saxons, conquered by the Danes and ruled by the Normans. This unremarkable place - not even included in the Domesday Book - became a medieval maze of alleys and courtyards, later to be chequered with grand estates of Georgian splendour. It swelled with industry and became the centre of the largest empire in history. And rising from the rubble of the Blitz, it is now one of the greatest cities in the world.
From the prehistoric occupants of the Thames valley to the preoccupied commuters of today, Simon Jenkins brings together the key events, individuals and trends in London's history to create a matchless portrait of the capital. Based in part on his own witness of the events that shaped the post-war city, and with his trademark colour and authority, he shows above all how London has taken shape over more than two thousand years. This is narrative history at its finest, from the most ardent protector of our heritage.
Customer Reviews
Why so depressing?
Other than the final chapter, a very depressing view of London. All building planners and politicians are clearly ignorant, admittedly, but I think it merits a more optimistic write up. Rather than want to stay, I now want to move out of London!
Misleading title
A very misleading title. This is not a general or social history of the creation of London. This is a history of the town planning of London. The author skips by the Black Death, the Spanish Armada etc in a few brief pages and instead dedicates the majority of the book to complaining about buildings he doesn’t like. The book starts off great, but by the second half it dissolves into little more than list of gripes about materials used on hotel frontages, and tabloid style accounts of the squabbles of Londons town planners
I’m sure anyone with an interest in architecture and town planning will enjoy this book. For anyone wanting an actual history of London there are better alternatives