London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Product Information

I will happily take this book with me on my next visit and plan to follow some of the walking guides included. Do you know what jetting is or a sedan chair? Do you know when ‘Egyptian mania’ affected London architecture? You can learn the interesting answers to these questions and more by reading this book. It’s full of unusual facts about London history and architecture. The illustrations are an absolute delight. This is a perfect book for people who live in London, and for tourists. However, tourists may not have the time to explore all the places mentioned here. This book certainly made me wish that I lived in London!

We know I will read almost anything to do with London, and this book is a delightful addition to the armchair-travel/initial-guidebook genre ... but man, those illustrations. They would earn a special spot on my bookcase or coffee table themselves! Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe. London is famous for its museums, each one full of treasures and relics – but the biggest museum in the capital is the city itself. From the stories behind unusual street names to the trees in our parks; railings made from recycled WWII stretchers to shrapnel damage on walls; the hidden symbols on post boxes, to prehistoric tree trunks – there is a rich history hidden in the oft-overlooked details of the city's streets, gardens, parks and buildings. There are some beautiful illustrations throughout the book, highlighting some of the interesting signs, buildings, and statues, ect, that can be found around the Capital, but I found myself scrambling for my phone to look up every other object that wasn’t given a visual - I just had to know what it looked like! However, I understand that the book would have felt crowded if there were illustrations for each curiosity.This richly detailed and beautifully illustratedbook provides a miscellany of historic features and curiosities to spotas you wander around the capital. Whether you’ve always wondered why there are cattle troughs on your route to work, why bollards often look like upside-down cannons or wanted to know what a Victorian stink pipe is – this book will provide the tools to decipher London’s secret code and introduce you to a treasure trove of hidden spots to explore. The items featured are random, quirky, and idiosyncratic representing virtually every era of London history. The featured items include architectural details, urban features, and easily overlooked evidence of historical events. The explanations are provided in text formatted like museum placards. Some examples include evidence of London bombings during WW2, London’s largest graffiti wall, London’s smallest sculpture, “Two Mice Eating Cheese,” and fossilized tree stumps thought to be millions of years old. Maps for four walks are also provided. London is famous for its museums, each one full of treasures and relics - but the biggest museum in the capital is the city itself. From the stories behind unusual street names, to the trees in our parks; railings made from recycled WWII stretchers, to shrapnel damage on walls; the hidden symbols on post boxes, to prehistoric tree trunks - there is a rich history hidden in the oft-overlooked details of the city's streets, gardens, parks and buildings.

So, pop on a sturdy pair of shoes and get ready to turn the city into the museum you never knew you had. About the Author Each walk has a theme. For example, the first one focuses on London’s buildings. They go from Roman ruins to skyscrapers. The book comes complete with maps so you can spot these details yourselfon walks through the capital.But this does suitably look up, down and sideways, while encouraging us to do the same. Here are signs still existing to WW2 air raid shelters, ancient statues, and so much more. We get several urban myths dismissed (such as equine feet on statuary, for one), and all told there is enough here to guarantee its worth. (I wish I'd known about the very early Tube map the last time I was around Temple.) I grew up in Essex and London has always been a fascinating and exhilarating place to me. I have also always had a passion for history. When I was younger my brothers would be taken to football matches at the weekends, I would be taken on day trips to the British museum. I am a big fan of museums and books but, even more so, I am interested in the tangible, liveable and breathable history we are surrounded by as we go about our everyday lives.