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Product Description
Review
.".. a wonderful collection of stories and legends, to be recommended to anyone who is at least half in love with the dark side of London's past." --"The Times"
Book Description
Discover the colourful traditions and bizarre superstitions of the world's most vibrant city
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.
Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.
Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Clever, witty, remarkably easy too read and broken down for easy reference. The book is one of the most enthralling I've read I would tell anyone with even a small interest in the mysterious side of London to buy it. Just hope Roud may think of doing something similar with other cities York, Nottingham etc...
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I can't recommend this book too highly. It is sensible, erudite and completely fascinating, and tells you more about the folklore and traditions of London than you would ever believe possible. Horn fairs, dancing chimney sweeps, the real Dick Turpin and the truth about Ann Boleyn's well, pig-faced ghosts, witches, murders and even a vampire. The only problem is that once you have started reading it is very hard to stop.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent read full of great stories!
An excellent, well written book full of ghosts, superstitions, myths and legends. Packed with obscure facts, this book is a fun read.
Published 12 months ago by Freddie Valentine
Fun and fascinating
This is this sort of book that you can dip in and out of. It is handily broken down into different geographical areas whilst the index at the back enables the reader to research... Read more
Published on 25 Nov 2009 by Rainy Day
LONDON LORE
This book was recently reviewed on the Robert Elms programme, BBC Radio LONDON. It was because of this I decided to but a copy and I totally agree with them that this book is a... Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2009 by Robren
Comprehensive, but repetitious and inaccurate
This enjoyable read offers a range of folklore and legend from across London, including some insightful comments on other writers and collectors in the field. Read more
Published on 27 April 2009 by barbicandy
London Lore
If you love London and History then this really is a pip!
I'm a big fan of both and got this for Christmas (well I actually chose & paid for it) and was not... Read more
I'm a big fan of both and got this for Christmas (well I actually chose & paid for it) and was not... Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2009 by Mr. J. Jones
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