Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wilson opens his history of London with a metaphor of buried rivers and buried past, evoking various little-known tributaries of the Thames, and in particular tracing the course of the Fleet River, now buried beneath streets and buildings, evidence of its existence apparent in the structures, place names and damp basements of the city. Thus biographer, critic and novelist Wilson (The Victorians; Tolstoy; etc.) expresses a sense of history leaving traces that can be teased out by thoughtful observation, alongside his love for and exasperation with a city that insists on remaking itself. He alternates describing architecture (both extant and long gone) with retelling events that filled the streets and fleshing out cultural and social subtleties, from Roman times through the heyday of Elizabethan, Georgian and Victorian London. He finds fault with city builders in almost every era and rails against the vandals of the past for the lost architecture and physical spaces of the city. His critic's eye gives his observations a curmudgeonly tone that becomes increasingly political as he approaches the present and excoriates recent policies and projects such as Centre Point and the Millennium Dome. Overall, he evokes a particular energy as the more essential quality of the city and forgives London for its faults. Historically and literary minded visitors will find much in this book to guide them and deepen their understanding. (On sale July 6) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Starred Review. Only the brilliant Wilson could have written such an abbreviated yet inclusive chronicle of London from its Roman beginnings to the new century. Many aspects of the city are juxtaposed past to present, present to past in a manner that enlightens, entertains, and intrigues. Despite his apparent deep affection for London, the author commendably balances his history, including features good, bad, proud, and shameful. Of course the London fire, Pepys, Dickens, Wren, and the birth of the Bank of England are presented along with such tidbits as how the bowler hat was part of the business "uniform," that Harrods originally offered funeral services, and, startlingly, that the Victorians destroyed more churches than the Luftwaffe! The debacle of the Millennium Dome, the evolution of making money, and the radical Finsbury Park Mosque bring London literally up to the moment. Narrator Christopher Kay is irresistible as he utters both sacred and profane quotes appropriate to London's long and colorful history. Forget the guidebooks; pull out this audio program before your next sojourn. For all libraries.--Susan G. Baird, Chicago, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
British biographer and novelist Wilson (The Victorians, 2003, etc.) briskly recaps London's evolution from Roman outpost to multicultural metropolis. As part of Modern Library's Chronicles series, this does not aspire to the epic sweep or narrative amplitude of the city's recent "biography" (London, 2001) by Peter Ackroyd, to whom this volume is dedicated. Instead, Wilson provides a highly selective chronological account, focusing on the "barely controlled social and architectural chaos" that has always accompanied London's generally unplanned growth. He sketches in broad strokes: Roman London existed to serve the empire's needs; Norman London centralized government functions to facilitate the conquerors' hegemony; Tudor and Stuart London was insular and paranoid; Georgian London gave birth to the gracious architecture overshadowed by the ugly buildings of the Victorians, who redeemed themselves with such practical achievements as the underground railway and a decent sewer system; under Nazi bombardment, London and Londoners stood as emblems of steadfast resistance; Swinging London marked the city's transition from a workplace to playground for leisure-time amusements. The author's personal opinions, evident throughout, become particularly marked in the final chapters. "London Cosmopolis" cheerfully depicts an international city inhabited by Mexican classroom assistants, Ethiopian janitors, Sikh upholsterers, and Pakistani newspaper vendors, but "Silly London" scathingly anatomizes the "ill-disguised euphemisms and clichÉs" of Mayor Ken Livingston's 2002 master plan. The underlying truth, according to Wilson, is "that very few Londoners any longer make or do anything specifically useful and that your best chance of a job . . . is work as a waiter, a domestic servant in an hotel, or a prostitute." It's punchy, all right, but despite tributes to London's "unquenchable life," the author doesn't convey much affection for his place of residence, and his assertion that "in spite of all the mistakes made by its administrators, [London] will meet the challenges of the future" sounds decidedly halfhearted. Not rah-rah enough for the tourist trade, and too sketchy for the armchair traveler. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
