- Hardcover: 362 pages
- Publisher: W&N (12 July 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0297842188
- ISBN-13: 978-0297842187
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 449,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Liza Picard certainly isn't tired of London. The lives that once thronged its streets are the stuff of her books, and Dr Johnson's London updates her 1997 volume, Restoration London, by one hundred years or so. Samuel Pepys gives way to Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, though, entertainingly, she shows no affection for the pair. She pursues them solely for their era, stretching 30 years from 1740 to 1770, pivoted on the publication of Johnson's Dictionary in 1755. Starting with a "virtual" sedan-chair tour of the city, she proceeds to elucidate every aspect of urban life, with particular attention paid to the poor, and the "middling sort", a fledgling middle class. This goes some way to redressing a balance which historically has tended to favour the rich and famous, who left behind the majority of buildings and ephemera.
Picard's conversational style, as bursting with rhetorical questions as a primary teacher, belies the breadth of her reading and research. Her informality breathes life into dry descriptions, and her sharp eye lends itself to shrewd selection from source passages. The familiarity of this Blackadder-esque London is borne out by its physical dimensions, with parks, hospitals and even bridges already starting to become recognisable to a contemporary eye, as well as its phenomena, such as lottery tickets and road rage. Although Picard sways between tenses with a giddy ease, adding a sprinkling of her own curious observations, her assimilation of information renders her prose sprightly, whether she be observing a meal in "real time", or delighting in the medical remedies, often involving quite the worst ingredients (though it's useful to know that powdered roast mouse is a reliable cure for incontinence). Saving the best to last, the concluding pages offer a cost of living index, which, as Picard admits, almost renders the book redundant. From a 1/2d half-loaf of bread to a £64,000 reward, it evocatively summarises the victuals and commodities of the time, and closes a bustling, collective portrait of the city not just of Johnson, but also of Henry Fielding, Tobias Smollett and William Hogarth.--David Vincent
Review
'Picard's writing is engaging and lucid, Fiona Shaw narrates with enthusiasm and the book has been thoughtfully abridged' (THE TIMES )
'It is packed with the sort of period detail I relish, the sections are linked with Handel, 18th century London's most celebrated composer' (THE GUARDIAN ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
'It is packed with the sort of period detail I relish, the sections are linked with Handel, 18th century London's most celebrated composer' (THE GUARDIAN ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A vivid, disgusting, harrowing, charming evocation of London life just 250 years and a lightyear away.
If the press gangs and smallpox did't get you, then the medicine would. Find out how many Londoners died of "lethargy" or "grief". Smell the sewers, taste the powdered chalk in the milk. It makes todays health scares seem utterly banal.
Fascination stuff. A history book that you don't tire of after five chapters. Buy it and curl up in front of the fire this Christmas.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a fascinating and well-researched book that gives you interesting snippets about how life was lived between 1740 and 1770. Particularly interesting is her use of first hand accounts of daily life in the time, told by foreign visitors, who must have viewed the customs as strangely as we do looking back.
My main criticism is that the subject matter is perhaps too broad, which means that Picard barely scratches the surface of some of the most interesting topics - transport, the lives of the wealthy, shopping etc - but her book is good enough to encourage the reader to conduct their own research into these areas.
My main criticism is that the subject matter is perhaps too broad, which means that Picard barely scratches the surface of some of the most interesting topics - transport, the lives of the wealthy, shopping etc - but her book is good enough to encourage the reader to conduct their own research into these areas.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Generally when I have bought books like this in the past I have started reading enthusiastically only to find myself losing interest due to the dry nature of the prose. Thankfully I have presevered & been rewarded with this fantastic read. From start to finish it is a fascinating journey through a smelly, vibrant, dangerous and totally foreign London.
It gives a real feel of time and place and kept me gripped from start to finish. It also made me thankful for 21st century plumbing and the demise of the press gang!
If you have any interest in history at all then this is an excellent light and entertaining read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fascinating look at everyday life in the mid 18th century but doesn't...
"When a man is tired of London he is tired of life;
for there is in London all that life can afford"
Samuel Johnson
Liza Picard is a lawyer by training who,... Read more
for there is in London all that life can afford"
Samuel Johnson
Liza Picard is a lawyer by training who,... Read more
Published 2 months ago by H. M. Holt
Comprehensive
I had the others in this series. This was bought to complete the set. I enjoyed it least - less witty, more obviously academic - a good, readable overview of London life.
Published 5 months ago by RoseJane
Dr. Johnson's London.
This is a historical review of London from the mid 18th Century.A city tour of the time,the streets,lighting,shops,new developments,the traffic and the buildings (slums,small... Read more
Published 9 months ago by J R Best
Brilliant social history!
I really enjoy Liza Picard's books on London's social history - easy to pick up and put down due to the many sub-headings. Her personal remarks also add a little humour!
Published on 13 Sep 2009 by Karen Alldritt
Mid 18th Century Potted Social History of London
I love this book! It is both informative and entertaining - the author's asides are delicious and will have you laughing out loud. Read more
Published on 6 July 2009 by jisi2044
London 1740-1770
I stumbled on Liza Picard's books quite by chance. After looking at the publishing date in some of the books it is apparent some of them have been around for several years. Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2008 by J. Chippindale
Excellent - and a good read
I have enjoyed this book. It is valuable whether you are researching 18th century English history, of whether you just want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and activities of... Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2008 by Robert
London 1740-1770
I stumbled on Liza Picard's books quite by chance. After looking at the publishing date in some of the books it is apparent some of them have been around for several years. Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2006 by J. Chippindale
Excellent Introduction to a wonderful age of history
Liza Picard has effectively captured the spirit of an age of contrasts - at once modern, sometimes dramatically so in matters of commerce and the media - and yet still medieval in... Read more
Published on 12 July 2005
Engaging, but ultimately lightweight
I was looking forward to this book and, to some extent, enjoyed reading it. However, I've a few criticisms. Read more
Published on 20 May 2003 by Mr. Andrew Dennis
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