Here are the voices of London - rich and poor, native and immigrant, women and men (and a Sarah who used to be a George) - witnessed by Craig Taylor, an acclaimed Canadian journalist, playwright and writer, who has lived in the city for ten years, exploring its hidden corners and listening to its residents. From the woman who is the voice of the London Underground to the man who plants the trees along Oxford Street; from a Muslim currency trader to a Guardsman at Buckingham Palace; from the marriage registrar at Westminster Town Hall to the director of the biggest Bethnal Green funeral parlour - together, these voices and many more, paint a vivid, epic and wholly fresh portrait of Twenty-First Century London.
Londoners
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Trade in Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now, As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It and Long for It for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Card, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more
|
Book Description
Special Offers and Product Promotions
-
Seasonal Offer:
This title is part of our Seasonal Offers promotion.
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
`A splendid oral history of the city ... A remarkable volume' --Guardian
'Taylor tunes in to the multi-tongued, self-justifying noise of the streets. And he leaves us with a substantial account' --Iain Sinclair, Observer
'A remarkable new book that celebrates the city's endless diversity'
--Time Out *****
'It's the thoughtfulness of Taylor's character studies that make this impressive book'
--Metro ****
`A compelling oral history that reveals the capital through the voices of 80 or so ordinary Londoners' --Independent
`The most humane attempt in some time to capture London's big dirty heart ... a great book' --Word Magazine
`A definitive picture of London as true and important as any fact-filled history of our capital'
--Stylist
'Masterful... The best book about London in at least a decade' --Londonist.com
'Electrifying ... The eloquence of the voices in this book is remarkable' --Oona King, The Times
'I almost learned more about Londoners from this book than from being a Londoner for more than four decades' --Oona King, The Times
'A rich and satisfying tapestry of city life' --Sunday Times
'Abuzz with the life and spirit of the capital city right now ... we salute this brilliant book'
--Dazed & Confused
`A haunting snapshot of contemporary London ... both charming and revealing' --Evening Standard
`An epic portrait that shows the city to be just as ... well ... Dickensian as it has ever been' --David Nicholls, Guardian
`I am crazy about Craig Taylor's Londoners ... I can't imagine any lucky recipient not enjoying it'
--Diana Athill, Observer
'Taylor tunes in to the multi-tongued, self-justifying noise of the streets. And he leaves us with a substantial account' --Iain Sinclair, Observer
'A remarkable new book that celebrates the city's endless diversity'
--Time Out *****
'It's the thoughtfulness of Taylor's character studies that make this impressive book'
--Metro ****
`A compelling oral history that reveals the capital through the voices of 80 or so ordinary Londoners' --Independent
`The most humane attempt in some time to capture London's big dirty heart ... a great book' --Word Magazine
`A definitive picture of London as true and important as any fact-filled history of our capital'
--Stylist
'Masterful... The best book about London in at least a decade' --Londonist.com
'Electrifying ... The eloquence of the voices in this book is remarkable' --Oona King, The Times
'I almost learned more about Londoners from this book than from being a Londoner for more than four decades' --Oona King, The Times
'A rich and satisfying tapestry of city life' --Sunday Times
'Abuzz with the life and spirit of the capital city right now ... we salute this brilliant book'
--Dazed & Confused
`A haunting snapshot of contemporary London ... both charming and revealing' --Evening Standard
`An epic portrait that shows the city to be just as ... well ... Dickensian as it has ever been' --David Nicholls, Guardian
`I am crazy about Craig Taylor's Londoners ... I can't imagine any lucky recipient not enjoying it'
--Diana Athill, Observer
About the Author
Craig Taylor is the author of two books, Return to Akenfield and One Million Tiny Plays About Britain, which began life as a column in the Guardian newspaper. Both have been adapted for the stage. He is the editor of the literary magazine, Five Dials. His third book, Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now - As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It and Long for It will be published autumn, 2011. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, he grew up on Vancouver Island. He now lives in London.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
60 of 62 people found the following review helpful
By Becky Shep
Format:Hardcover
An oral history of `real' London, written by a Canadian geezer? No I wasn't convinced either.
But I'd read rave reviews about Londoners and so I decided to give it a whirl regardless. Thank god I did. This is a fantastic collection of candid tales about our metropolis. And while completely contradictory in their sentiments, all the voices feel genuine and unembellished; whether their account is bleak, loving or plain bizarre, you can guarantee that the narrator means every word.
The leg work in itself is impressive, five years worth of interviews, spanning all thirty-two boroughs and notching up around a million words of material. The hard work has paid off, because however you feel about modern London, you'll be accounted for by Mr. Taylor. He hasn't tried to sway the collection towards any particular conclusion.
Full of laugh-out-loud anecdotes, just as many angry and sinister rants, with some beautiful and poetic depictions of the city which come from the unlikeliest of sources.
Every time I put the book down I had the urge to jump on the tube and have a wander for myself!
But I'd read rave reviews about Londoners and so I decided to give it a whirl regardless. Thank god I did. This is a fantastic collection of candid tales about our metropolis. And while completely contradictory in their sentiments, all the voices feel genuine and unembellished; whether their account is bleak, loving or plain bizarre, you can guarantee that the narrator means every word.
The leg work in itself is impressive, five years worth of interviews, spanning all thirty-two boroughs and notching up around a million words of material. The hard work has paid off, because however you feel about modern London, you'll be accounted for by Mr. Taylor. He hasn't tried to sway the collection towards any particular conclusion.
Full of laugh-out-loud anecdotes, just as many angry and sinister rants, with some beautiful and poetic depictions of the city which come from the unlikeliest of sources.
Every time I put the book down I had the urge to jump on the tube and have a wander for myself!
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By astrogurl
Format:Hardcover
Really loved this, as much for the British social history aspect as the London-specific stories. A real variety of vividly-painted characters, with stories told around different themes and aspects of life in London
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is a collection of 80 or so personal experiences of London as told to the author and published using their own words. Some contributors are predictable, even inevitable, such as a taxi driver, a publican, a paramedic and a market trader. They represent traditional London. Others come from more recent arrivals, such as immigrants, and yet others from people that most of us never meet, such as a dominatrix and a long-time protestor against the invasion of Iraq, camped out in Parliament Square. Some of the stories are mundane, others quirky (such as those of the nurse in a STD clinic and the LT lost property clerk). Others are very moving, particularly one from the eyewitness of a Tube train suicide of a young girl. Most show the determination of those who live here to survive and prosper. If you want evidence that the entrepreneurial spirit is not dead, read the contribution by the East End funeral director.
As someone who was born in London and has lived here for more than 60 years, although not continuously, I was very dubious that a collection of short experiences from a very small number of people (the population of London is about 7.5 million) could possibly give a balanced view of the city. Were my original doubts vindicated? No, they were no. Obviously, a different choice of contributors would have produced different stories, doubtless with contradictory views, like the current ones, but overall the chosen contributions have a ring of authenticity and hang together well. They give a good feeling of what it is like to live and work in this great city. It is an excellent book and I thoroughly recommend it.
As someone who was born in London and has lived here for more than 60 years, although not continuously, I was very dubious that a collection of short experiences from a very small number of people (the population of London is about 7.5 million) could possibly give a balanced view of the city. Were my original doubts vindicated? No, they were no. Obviously, a different choice of contributors would have produced different stories, doubtless with contradictory views, like the current ones, but overall the chosen contributions have a ring of authenticity and hang together well. They give a good feeling of what it is like to live and work in this great city. It is an excellent book and I thoroughly recommend it.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By uncle barbar
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
This is a fantastic volume and highly recommended. I started out dipping into it and ended up reading it through voraciously. Every Londoner's account, and there are around 80, is spellbinding, be it funny, sad or exuberant. There is much insight and wisdom within these pages. Made me laugh out loud. Okay, it's not the snappiest title but it does what it says on the tin. This is clearly a labour of love for Taylor and it has very much paid off. The narratives are so vivid many put me in mind of Dickens. I was in awe of some of the poetic descriptions of the most down-to-earth of contributors. First hand accounts and eyewitness testimony prove so much more rewarding than watered-down fiction. A great book for anybody who wants to gain a wider and deeper understanding of Londoners or anybody interested in social anthropology. A great - and most informative - read.
53 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I live in London but I rarely talk to anyone I don't already know so my view of the city is pretty fixed.
Taylor, an outsider from Canada, talks to everyone and anyone, and manages to get them to talk to him. No mean feat.
He gets under the skin of the city and reveals it in unexpected, beautiful and funny ways.
A real triumph.
Taylor, an outsider from Canada, talks to everyone and anyone, and manages to get them to talk to him. No mean feat.
He gets under the skin of the city and reveals it in unexpected, beautiful and funny ways.
A real triumph.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By JF
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
An interesting book, one which you can dip in and out of, as it is made up of individuals views of London. Could have done with tighter editing, but essentially very good.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Leigh
Format:Hardcover
I purchased this book for my partner at Christmas. The book was 'Book of the Week' on Radio 4 - I found myself laughing and nodding in agreement and was glued to my radio everyday for a week. My partner is really enjoying the read, and would recommend the book to others.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I listened to this book being read aloud on Radio 4 recently. It was so engaging that I ordered it for a Christmas present for my son, hoping that I could then borrow it sometime. While staying at my sons for Christmas I got my 14 year old grand daughter interested and she read the recollections of the lost property clerk at Waterloo which she loved. All of human life is there! A wonderful book if you love people as well as loving London. Maggie
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 43 reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good read bug
I really looked forward to reading this book about london having lived there for 16 years myself.But what I found was people describi,ng their jobs more than their lives and... Read more
Published 11 days ago by michael otoole michael otoole
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little book
Bought this as a present for my father. He loves it, as he's has an interest in London history. Nice book he can dip in and out of. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Shopper24
3.0 out of 5 stars
london
It is an interesting book about London. If you have ever stayedin London for a long period of time, you would definetly like it.
Published 1 month ago by Elif
4.0 out of 5 stars
Londoners for an American
that was a good bye present for an American and reluctant temporary resident of London. I would recommend it as some of the stories are bound to please.
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. Marie-france R. Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars
Book Club read
Heard a review on BBC radio 4 and sounded good so chose it for Book Club. Big read and not 100% approval but I enjoyed it by 'dipping' into it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Moyra Purnell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing
Great vignettes of so many different facets of London and people's experiences of and in it. First heard it serialised on the radio and the full version lived up to expectations. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bridgemagoo2
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bedtime read
One of the reasons that I like this book is because you can pick it up, read a section and put it down, so it makes excellent bedtime reading. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Shiroi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful and fascinating glimpse into the rythmn of London life
Craig Taylor does an excellent job of deciphering segments of individual's lives, each story contrasting so vastly from the other, providing us with fragments of lucidity amongst... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Galaxy_Blue
4.0 out of 5 stars
A review from a foreigner
Generally, this is a book I would recommend to people who are so interested in London and urged to know its story. Read more
Published 2 months ago by luvmeow
5.0 out of 5 stars
Londoners
Superb book into the folk who live in London, and tell their tales with a degree of humour and sadness. So diverese in the people chosen to give their story. Read more
Published 2 months ago by John
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Business, Finance & Law > Biographies & Histories > Business & Economic History
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Ireland
- Books > History > Cultural History > London
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Atlases & Maps > Countries A-Z > United Kingdom > Cities & Towns > London
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > United Kingdom > Regions > South & South East England > London, Greater London
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
