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"["London"] provides the reader with a good understanding of the evolution of one of the world''s major cities, and includes many of the seminal maps for those interested in its cartographic history. It is a good book for just browsing the maps and illustrations, and it''s appropriate for anyone with an interest in London and/or maps. . . . A very good value."--Peter Porrazzo "Portolan "
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Like all the great historic cities of Europe, London appears to us solid and unchanging. We feel that we can still explore the London of Dickens, Dr. Johnson, Defoe, Wren and even Shakespeare. The very names St Paul's, Smithfield, Charing Cross, St James's, seem to link us with those past eras. But this solidity is an illusion, for throughout its long history London has been changing and evolving. It has been renewing or replacing the streets and buildings at its heart and has been spreading inexorably outwards. This process is vividly illustrated by maps of London that have been drawn and published over the past 500 years; and this book offers a magnificent panorama of London's history by focusing on its maps. The link between London and Westminster; the devastation of the Great Fire; the emergence of the West End as a place of fashion; the opening of the Royal Parks; the building of the docks; the coming of the railway age; the impact of World Wars - all these processes and many more are evident in these historic maps. Approximately 200 important maps from the mid-sixteenth century to the present day are illustrated and discussed. For all those who know London, but who wish to look behind the modern facade, "London, A Life in Maps" should prove irresistible, highlighting the challenge of predicting London's future development and character.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
79 of 79 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love maps and I love London: what a combination!
This book is a companion to the exhibition held at the British Library in 2006-07. The book is split into four sections - London before the Great Fire, the age of elegance, the Victorian metropolis, and the shock of the new - and each section has a page or sometimes two pages devoted to particular aspects of each theme. Thus we have various maps and plans of the Tower and Westminster Abbey mixed with representations of Civil War London in the first section; and visions of Wembley and the Festival of Britain in the final section.
The result is akin to a visual version of Peter Ackroyd's biography of the city. You can dip into this marvellous publication at various points and find treasures to delight the eye and to illuminate the mind, be the maps and plans devoted to the underground, Belgravia, Wren's plans for the post-Fire city or Tudor Smithfield. Each page is concise and self-contained, but, taken as a whole, the vision is panoramic.
As one would expect from a publication by the British Library, the quality of impressive. As well as reproductions of maps and plans, there are also engravings, paintings and photographs to enliven the page. Peter Whitfield's commentary is wise and engaging. He is not afraid to comment on the brutalist tendencies of the post-war era, and his text is the perfect accompaniment to the image presented.
No quibbles? Well, there are two: firstly, although detailed catalogue references are given to the illustrated maps, some maps are surprisingly without a date (for example the map of Epping Forest on page 164). My second quibble - I want these maps!
This book is a companion to the exhibition held at the British Library in 2006-07. The book is split into four sections - London before the Great Fire, the age of elegance, the Victorian metropolis, and the shock of the new - and each section has a page or sometimes two pages devoted to particular aspects of each theme. Thus we have various maps and plans of the Tower and Westminster Abbey mixed with representations of Civil War London in the first section; and visions of Wembley and the Festival of Britain in the final section.
The result is akin to a visual version of Peter Ackroyd's biography of the city. You can dip into this marvellous publication at various points and find treasures to delight the eye and to illuminate the mind, be the maps and plans devoted to the underground, Belgravia, Wren's plans for the post-Fire city or Tudor Smithfield. Each page is concise and self-contained, but, taken as a whole, the vision is panoramic.
As one would expect from a publication by the British Library, the quality of impressive. As well as reproductions of maps and plans, there are also engravings, paintings and photographs to enliven the page. Peter Whitfield's commentary is wise and engaging. He is not afraid to comment on the brutalist tendencies of the post-war era, and his text is the perfect accompaniment to the image presented.
No quibbles? Well, there are two: firstly, although detailed catalogue references are given to the illustrated maps, some maps are surprisingly without a date (for example the map of Epping Forest on page 164). My second quibble - I want these maps!
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I collect books about London and this was one of the best additions to my collection. The quality of the reproductions, including the quality of the paper they're on, is excellent. A plus point is that Peter Whitfield has not just included old maps of the City and the West End but has also used, to name just a few examples, maps of Whitechapel and the East End (of particular interest to me as I was born there), south London's new bridges and roads of the 19th century, and Hoxton. The last section of the book is entitled 'The Shock of the New': the Underground and the transformation of Docklands are just two examples from this section.
In addition there is informative and interesting accompanying history, traditional and social.
In addition there is informative and interesting accompanying history, traditional and social.
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I also love London and love maps, and found this book interesting and informative. However it was possibly not very well edited as on at least three occasions I came across facts that had been given a few pages before. This repetition gave the feeling of the book having been written by several different authors and was almost a collection of short essays rather than a complete piece. Given the title it seemed odd that at least half the illustrations were pictures or photographs rather than maps or plans.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Story Well Told
This may not be the definitive story of our capital told in terms of maps but it is a creditable effort nonetheless. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Chris White
This delighted my Dad
I bought this as a Christmas present for my Dad who is very difficult to buy for and he was delighted.
Published 4 months ago by Mrs M.
Pictures not maps
Very disappointing-there is a world of difference between maps and illustrations of maps-it is not possible to discern street names on any of the "maps",so their presence is a sort... Read more
Published 5 months ago by d.hunt
London Mapped Out
A very comprehensive book of maps covering London and its growth as a city over the centuries. It is not as good as the Times London atlas recently published, but it is a good deal... Read more
Published 7 months ago by T. Mould
FASCINATING
Very easy to read and learn about London through maps from the first basic and inaccurate drawings. Fascinating to see how names evolved in London and how the city expanded around... Read more
Published 7 months ago by margie
Short review
Don't be misled by the title: this book is about much more than just maps! The illustrations, consisting of old prints, paintings and drawings are enriched by well-written,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by peterpan
London history fully mapped
An excellent choice, so much so that I purchased two - one for my map-a-holic sister ... a 1933 Battersea birth.
Also very pleased with historic map purchases. Read more
Also very pleased with historic map purchases. Read more
Published 12 months ago by polish
Excellent text
I recommend this book. The text accompanying the maps is interesting and well written. The maps are good too, but the necessary reduction to book size make a few hard to read and... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Skylark
life in maps
This book is very interesting following the history of London via various maps. The prose is very accessible. It remains a useful reference book.
Published on 11 Oct 2009 by Y. FISH
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