or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
31 used & new from £2.99

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
City Secrets: London
 
 

City Secrets: London (Turtleback)

by Tim Adams (Author) "The statue Charles I is arguably the finest, most striking and most evocative of all London statues ..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £6.48 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.51 (35%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 4 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 10? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
22 new from £4.50 9 used from £2.99

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with City Secrets: New York City by Robert Kahn

City Secrets: London + City Secrets: New York City
Price For Both: £17.08

Show availability and shipping details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

City Secrets: New York City

City Secrets: New York City

by Robert Kahn
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £10.60
City Secrets: Rome

City Secrets: Rome

by Robert Kahn
5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £7.99
Secret London: Exploring the Hidden City, with Original Walks and Unusual Places to Visit

Secret London: Exploring the Hidden City, with Original Walks and Unusual Places to Visit

by Andrew Duncan
3.8 out of 5 stars (10)  £6.69
City Secrets: Florence, Venice and the Towns of Italy

City Secrets: Florence, Venice and the Towns of Italy

by Robert Kahn
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £11.99
Secret London - an Unusual Guide (Jonglez Guides)

Secret London - an Unusual Guide (Jonglez Guides)

by Rachel Howard
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £6.78
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Turtleback: 250 pages
  • Publisher: Little Bookroom,U.S. (25 Oct 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1892145073
  • ISBN-13: 978-1892145079
  • Product Dimensions: 18 x 9.9 x 1.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 83,458 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   London City opens new browser window
www.CityJet.com/London  -  15 Min Check-In Times In London Smartest Choice For Business Travel 
   Piccadilly Soho on Sale opens new browser window
www.shaftesburyhotel.co.uk  -  4 Star Accom, Free Full Breakfast, Free Broadband, Book Direct, No fee 
   go green with A12 Cars opens new browser window
www.a12cars.co.uk  -  Stansted from £30 LHR/LGW from £65! Book a return journey & save £5 
  
 

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

City Secrets: London is the third book in the intriguing City Secrets series, published by the Little Bookroom, an American sister company of Granta. The idea behind the books was to develop an anecdotal guide by London's writers, artists, historians and designers and to reveal favourite hidden corners as well as giving new insights on well-known places.

As in the much-acclaimed City Secrets: Rome and City Secrets: Florence, Venice and the Towns of Italy, the quirkiness and individuality of the approach pays dividends here. The biographer and critic Fiona McCarthy gives a cogent and evocative essay about the Freud Museum in Finchley where Freud lived after his last-ditch flight from the Nazis, while interior decorator David Mlinaric is equally intriguing discussing London Underground design, which he conjures in an essay that will send readers out to discover the work of Eric Gill and Eduardo Paolozzi (whose mosaic murals may be found at Tottenham Court Road station). And journalist Ruth Pavey will have many of us up at 4am visiting Hampstead Heath to enjoy the dawn chorus and the bat walks: hers is one of the most fascinating essays in this invaluable little book. Part of the appeal of this series is its steadfast refusal to visit well-trodden paths; where it intersects with the more familiar guidebooks, there is always an idiosyncratic approach that marks it out as something much more interesting. --Barry Forshaw



Book Information

Tour London in the company of its most thoughtful observers.

Beyond the public London of pomp and circumstance exists a private London that endlessly inspires its artists and writers. Infused with the spirit of history and literature--yet undeniably of-the-moment--the city's loveliest old corners and hippest new addresses are now revealed: the lopsided 17th-century premises of the wine merchant who supplies claret to the Queen; Oscar Wilde's favourite restaurant; a barge trip by canal to Camden Market; a connoisseur's afternoon.

Church Row, Hampstead NW3 tube: Hampstead

The best walk in London is down Church Row in NW3. After his exile and disgrace as the boyfriend of Oscar Wilde, Lord Alfred Douglas lived here, though I don't know at which number. You could ring all the bells and ask. At the end of the road there is a ravishing little graveyard to the right which contains the remains of Hugh Gaitskell, Kay Kendall, Anton Walbrook (the ringmaster from La Ronde) and Joan Collins's mother. Our Lady guards Beerbohm Tree. To the left, in the grounds of the church itself, you will find the grave of John Harrison--immortalised by Michael Gambon in the TV film of Longtitude. You will also get an extraordinary view south towards the river. Then you should head on to Frognal, turn right, and at 99 you will find the house where General de Gaulle lived as leader of the Free French throughout the Second World War. I find it heartstopping to think of him here, directing the French war effort from a house in Hampstead. Of course if you want to follow the theme of the Resistance, you then have to go to the French House in Soho (49 Dean Street W1) to see where de Gaulle's juniors all ate and drank. But, for me, the pub will never be as evocative as the big, leafy house in North London. David Hare, Playwright


Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The statue Charles I is arguably the finest, most striking and most evocative of all London statues. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
london travel
british travel

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars It's no secret. This is a little gem., 21 Nov 2002
By Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
LONDON, of the City Secrets series of travel guides, is a little gem that will easily fit into a pocket of your travel vest as you set out to explore what is arguably the world's greatest city.

This volume, small in size but rich in information, divides Britain's capital into thirteen areas according to a scheme that escapes me. However, no matter. Each area, e.g. Hyde Park & Chelsea, The City, Oxford Street & Mayfair, or The East End & Beyond, is preceded by a map on which is marked each point of interest included in that section. And what you will find are both famous and little-known museums, historic buildings, art galleries, libraries, shops, pubs, churches, eateries, parks, squares, streets, memorials, and gardens. Each includes, at least, an address or location and the name of the nearest Underground or rail station. If relevant, there's also a phone number and/or the date the place was founded or constructed. The core of each listing is a short descriptive commentary by a contributing journalist, architect, philosopher, playwright, professor, author, historian, poet, curator, or some other professional of similar dignity. At the end of the book are an Index of Recommended Reading and an Index of Contributors. What you won't find are budget hotels, American fast-food franchises, newsagents, or 24-hour chemists (pharmacies) reviewed by backpacking college students, traveling salesmen, lorry drivers, or tourists from the Midwest. This is a genteel publication.

LONDON is a delightful and uncommonly intelligent sightseeing resource for those of us who've been to the city often enough to have exhausted the usual tourist activities and are left with making silly faces at the Buckingham Palace guard to try and crack his reserve. And besides the information that might be considered usual for each of the listings, the contributors also provide tidbits of arcane information that the casual visitor would likely not know or learn...

LONDON in hand, I'm ready to return to my favorite city - now.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A brilliantly unique guide to London, 11 Jan 2002
By A Customer
The London City Secrets sets itself apart from other guidebooks by offering fresh insights and personal observations from a wonderful selection of cultural figures that know London inside out. The real charm is the fact that any Londoner or tourist alike can discover a wonderfully idiosyncratic and traditional new side to a city they may think they already know. The beauty is, in no small part, due to the wide variety of contributors who are all in their own way passionate in their interest of whichever building, event, shop or stroll to which they elude.

The pocket book is stylish and beautifully presented and therefore also does away with the feeling that everyone can see you are following a guidebook! It's split into easy to follow areas each with a map and key although sadly there are no pictures which would probably prove a bit of a disappoint to the tourist who would generally not even be able to visualise the area.

A great little find.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars No practical information at all, just whispers ...., 18 Jul 2005
By Karl Thoroddsen (Reykjavik, Rvk Iceland) - See all my reviews
In the hundreds of travel books about London this one surely stands out. You won't find any information on general opening hours, the 10 best restaurants or anything that practical. This book contains small chapters on what a group of Londoners consider to be something worth visiting or trying out. I would recommend it without question, simply because in my case this book pointed me to the best cup of coffee I have had. I am sure you'll find something interesting there as well.

Is it better than Time Out or Lonely Planet? It is different.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
The secrets this book discloses aren't secrets at all; the title is misleading. It's OK as a pocket guide to interesting things in London, but there's little in it that doesn't... Read more
Published on 16 May 2003

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 

   


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.