- Paperback: 408 pages
- Publisher: W&N; New edition edition (12 July 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 184188135X
- ISBN-13: 978-1841881355
- Product Dimensions: 28.2 x 21.7 x 2.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 45,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The Annals of London chronicles the events which have changed the face of London and engaged, diverted or outraged its inhabitants in the years since the settlement of Londinium was first established shortly after the second Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43. After an introductory essay on Roman London and the city's fortunes under the Saxons, Danes and others who took over after the Romans left, year-by-year entries range consecutively when there is a story to tell, from the building of the first Westminster Abbey in 1065 to the Millennium celebrations in 1999. Along the way we watch the city grow from the centre out to the suburbs and observe businesses and buildings, sacred and secular, being started, ruined, rebuilt and metamorphosed into the forms familiar to us today - four versions of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, for example, and also of the Whitehall Banqueting House, where in 1649 we see Charles I lose his head with a universal grone among the thousands of people who were in sight of it . Londoners liked executions - not to mention theatres, gardens, music halls, ceremonies, oddities, shops, sports and the occasional riot. They helped take their minds off the plagues, fires, wars and freakish weather. Richardson records all this, with judicious quotes from contemporary writers.
About the Author
John Richardson has a long interest in London s history and in 1995 he published a social history of London entitled London and its People. He has written histories of Covent Garden, Camden Town, Hampstead, Islington, Highgate and Kentish Town. He was also instrumental in helping to found the London Arts Board. John Richardson lives in London, N7.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Lavishly illustrated, this is a great book to pick up and browse randomly, or to search out any particular year. Full of unexpected and quirky nuggets from the past, and really well written.
Format:Paperback
I find The Annals of London a very useful book for the U3A social history group I attend every fortnight. The dealer who supplied it actually delivered it personally.
It is a mine of information based on true facts, and I would recommend it for any one who loves history, especially of London. A really good read.
It is a mine of information based on true facts, and I would recommend it for any one who loves history, especially of London. A really good read.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
lots of historical tidbits
23 Oct 2001
Format:Hardcover
At first glance, this book with its lists of events might appear a little dry, but as you begin reading the events' descriptions, you'll soon discover pages filled with interesting historical anecdotes.
Among the events covered are institutional foundings (such as churches, hospitals, schools, theatres and newspapers), technical and medical achievements, the various floodings and freezings of the Thames, bridge and tunnel collapses, executions, assassinations, hangings, murders, fires, and more.
Even the smallest events have interesting details... such as the blowing down of Fairlop Oak in Hainault Forest in 1820. The tree is described as having branches that spread 116 ft and it is noted: "Around it took place the annual Fairlop Fair -- an event which helped to shorten the tree's life, because visitors would use the inside of the trunk to light fires for cooking."
Another entry that appears earlier in 1741 mentions the opening of St. George's Chapel in Curzon Street by a Reverend Alexander Keith who "scandalized the clergy by his readiness to perform marriages without too many questions."
Many event descriptions run for a few paragraphs and some have illustrations. My only gripe with this book is that the font size for the print is very small. (The print would be much easier to read if it was just another 2 points larger.) Aside from that, I'm sure this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in London history.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
An American Anglophile's Dream
9 Jun 2004
Format:Hardcover
I would recommend this gem of a book to American Anglophiles.
I found this wonderful volume when I was shuffling through a used bookstore in Raleigh, NC, while my soon to be ex was pouring over the gardening section. I came upon "The Annals of London: A Year-by-Year Record of a Thousand Years of History" just by chance. I sat down and opened it up. I was transfixed for the next two hours. It is very compelling.
This book reads like a slow-motion history of English civilization: Every page (it's organized like a newspaper) has a tidbit.
It is a gripping tale. The inevitability of the English political system is striking. The people of London ignore their leaders with a very satisfying frequency.
Interesting tidbits: Henry VIII's coffin exploded while laying in Westminster, and his remains were eaten by dogs; an article on the demolition of the Globe and a less than popular playwright; lots of flatulent monarchs and mayors; and a glimpse at the origins of the English socialist movement that is still very influential today. This book is an incredible archive, and I would recommend it to any fellow American who has a fascination for mother England.
A bit wordy and condescending in that British sort of way, but like any good newspaper, you can skip the parts that don't interest you.
I found this wonderful volume when I was shuffling through a used bookstore in Raleigh, NC, while my soon to be ex was pouring over the gardening section. I came upon "The Annals of London: A Year-by-Year Record of a Thousand Years of History" just by chance. I sat down and opened it up. I was transfixed for the next two hours. It is very compelling.
This book reads like a slow-motion history of English civilization: Every page (it's organized like a newspaper) has a tidbit.
It is a gripping tale. The inevitability of the English political system is striking. The people of London ignore their leaders with a very satisfying frequency.
Interesting tidbits: Henry VIII's coffin exploded while laying in Westminster, and his remains were eaten by dogs; an article on the demolition of the Globe and a less than popular playwright; lots of flatulent monarchs and mayors; and a glimpse at the origins of the English socialist movement that is still very influential today. This book is an incredible archive, and I would recommend it to any fellow American who has a fascination for mother England.
A bit wordy and condescending in that British sort of way, but like any good newspaper, you can skip the parts that don't interest you.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Great bathroom book, but over-heavy on theatrical history
2 Jan 2004
Format:Hardcover
This is the perfect bathroom book. Short, concise vignettes. Pick it up. Put it down. Never lose your place. I'm mere pages from finishing, and I've been reading it for 2 1/2 years.
If you're interested in London history, this book is a great way to strengthen your understanding of that great city without burying yourself in a huge tome.
So why only 4 stars? (I'd have done 3.5 if it was an option.) The author slants very heavily toward two subjects. London theatrical history and architectural history. The former is mind-numbingly ubiquitous. The latter is much more integral to understanding London as it stands today. Both subjects are important and relevant, but in some parts of the book they seem to be the only topics covered at all.
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