The Worst Street in London: Foreword by Peter Ackroyd
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Halfway up Commercial Street, one block away from Spitalfields Market, lies an anonymous service road. The average pedestrian wouldn't even notice it existed. But unlikely though it may seem, this characterless, 400ft strip of tarmac was once Dorset Street - the most notorious thoroughfare in the Capital; the worst street in London and the resort of Protestant fire-brands, thieves, con-men, pimps, prostitutes and murderers, most notably Jack the Ripper. Spitalfields as a whole is now a vibrant and fashionable place to live, work and play; the home of artists and artisans, just as it was when the Huguenots settled there. However, as dusk falls, the seemingly indelible, sordid side of this fascinating part of London begins to emerge once again as the unknowing descendants of Mary Kelly, Mary Ann Austin and Kitty Ronan and others begin to ply their trade around the hallowed walls of Christ Church. All signs of Dorset Street, ' the worst street in London', may all but have disappeared from the map but its legacy is too powerful to ever be entirely erased. This book chronicles the rise and fall of this remarkable street, from its promising beginnings at the centre of the 17th Century silk weaving industry through its gradual descent into iniquity, vice and violence to its final demise at the hands of the demolition men. Its remarkable history gives a fascinating insight into an area of London that has, from its initial development, been a cultural melting pot - the place where many thousands of immigrants became Londoners. It also tells the story of a part of London that, until quite recently, was largely left to fend for itself, with truly horrifying results.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this book cover to cover over a few days. The style is easy to read whilst being informative about this fascinating area of London. I enjoyed the suggested walk at the back of the book, even though I am familiar with the area Fiona Rule had provided information that I had not previously known, so I looked at the area through "fresh eyes".
Some text books can leave me cold in their style & I tend to dip in & out, but this book managed to keep me rivetted.
Another book to be recommended about this area is 18 Folgate Street by Dennis Severs.
Some text books can leave me cold in their style & I tend to dip in & out, but this book managed to keep me rivetted.
Another book to be recommended about this area is 18 Folgate Street by Dennis Severs.
56 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book will appeal to historians and Ripperologists alike, it is choc-full of interesting facts about the Spitafields area from its earliest days and sheds new light on some of the most notorious individuals to emerge from its streets. The author has adopted a compelling story-telling style which makes the book a real page-turner and not at all text-bookish. If you are interested in Jack The Ripper or the origins of the East End gangs then this is a must for your collection.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
No, it's not about the traffic around Victoria Station.
This is an excellent approach to exploring the colourful history of a single area of London. In a city where every cobblestone and brick has a tale to tell, THE WORST STREET IN LONDON does a ripping job (sorry, Jack) of detailing the sordid and informative legacy of what would otherwise be considered an "ordinary" street. Anything but! The only thing I missed was perhaps a few more maps or illustrations of the area then... and then... and then... and now.
This is an excellent approach to exploring the colourful history of a single area of London. In a city where every cobblestone and brick has a tale to tell, THE WORST STREET IN LONDON does a ripping job (sorry, Jack) of detailing the sordid and informative legacy of what would otherwise be considered an "ordinary" street. Anything but! The only thing I missed was perhaps a few more maps or illustrations of the area then... and then... and then... and now.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Worst Street in London
This book is reasonably entertaining, but any pleasure is intermittently ruined by the author's frightfully mediocre command of written English! Read more
Published 3 months ago by MalcolmN
Good general history
'Worst Street in London' didn't really cut deeply below the surface but as a general introductory text to the history of a colourful yet depserate part of London it served its... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Tallburt
Not just Ripper territory
This is an absolutely fascinating read, detailing the history of Dorset Street, and the surrounding Spitalfields area. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Icy Sedgwick
Would recommend this book to anyone !
I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it.
It is brilliantly written, incredibly well researched (though I'd have liked to have seen more photographs). Read more
It is brilliantly written, incredibly well researched (though I'd have liked to have seen more photographs). Read more
Published 16 months ago by T. Guise
excellent east end history. not a ripper book per se.
I am not sure why so many previous reviews mention Jack the Ripper. They could put people, who have no interest in the Whitechaper murders, off reading this fine book. Read more
Published 23 months ago by P.Rock
The Worst Sreet in London
I love London. I love books about London. I love History. So what's to complain- this one has it all. Read more
Published on 10 April 2010 by R. Sara Mairi
Great Book
As a reader of many history books this is a great book . Not to heavy going , easy to read but full of historical facts.
Published on 12 Sep 2009 by S. Wilson
A beautifully, informative written book
I was very impressed with this book and have recommended it to many of my friends and family. No, I'm not going to loan my copy because I want to read it again. Read more
Published on 19 Aug 2009 by Bryan
So so book about Spitalfields
This book is about Spitalfields with a focus on Dorset Street rather than being about Dorset Street per se. Read more
Published on 19 July 2009 by shinglma
Promising start
I erred between giving this 3 or 4 stars and decided to opt for the higher rating. Local history is notoriously difficult to write about in an interesting and entertaining way (as... Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2009 by D. P. Mankin
Listmania!
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