London: A Biography

London: A Biography is not a biography in the usual sense of the term. True, Ackroyd is an excellent writer who is adept at weaving together bits of archeology with a historical note and a dollop of quotes from a novelist. I did enjoy the book, but it was not what I expected.As a Londoner, I hoped to discover new insights into the nether regions of the past and present. That hope was realised. In fact, I am looking for some of the books Ackroyd mentioned in his closing essay.I suppose any biographer has to pick and choose among the events in a long life that tell an interesting story. The author has chosen well. Would I have chosen differently? Yes. I would like more about science and history with fewer quotations from literary sources. I read about so many churches, but I did not learn much about the interaction of the people with their churches. I read about a few royals and captains of industry, but most of the time I was reading about those who struggled to survive. I almost expected to see family names when he took us down dour lanes for a dip in the cloudy culture of those hamlets south of the Thames.

I've read a number of histories of London, but this was the most entertaining and revealing. The author demonstrates his encyclopedic knowledge of every stone and brick in the metropolis over two millennia, but doesn't present their stories in a dry, chronological fashion. It's more like strolling through a {massive) museum with hundreds of separate galleries and exhibits. Each chapter takes one discrete element of the city: a street corner, a tree, a trade, an industry, a church or institution, a fashion, a form of amusement, etc., and explores its development over the centuries and relationship to the other elements. In the end, we are left with solid evidence of the author's main thesis, which is that while the city grew and changed immensely over the centuries, its past is alive and well in everything from street names, land use patterns, language and accents, and recurring patterns of urban life.

How can one read a book of almost 800 pages in the midst of a busy life? This question is daunting to many readers.As a Londoner permanently fascinated by my birthplace I started this immense read by dipping into aspects that first interested me, because the contents are conveniently arranged by subject area (theatre, architecture, etc.). Then I expanded my interests until, finally, I had read it all--at least at a superficial level. Only repeated readings will enable the reader to assimilate it as part of an individual intellectual landscape and memory. This is a veritable 'groaning board' of data.Peter Ackroyd's scholarship is meticulous and results in a work of dense information matched by high levels of entertainment--he is an excellent writer. However well one might know individual aspects of London, there are constant surprises and insights that engage the curious reader.This is not a tourist guide book, quite unlike the various 'London walks' offerings that are frequently delightful and helpful, but is the Ackroyd's attempt to explain the mystery of London over the centuries. It is a tribute to the immense effort he put into this work that it works well at many levels. His 'Essay on Sources' with which he closes the book is itself a mine of information and will send many readers scurrying to the bookshelf or library for further exploration.For anyone with a love of London, this is essential reading.

A "biography" is the story of a life, usually told more or less in chronological order. Peter Ackroyd's London, however, is really a series of interconnected essays on London: on food, on drink, on the weather, on fog, on darkness, on streetlights, etc. Too many of these essays take the form of a set of quotes, each followed by a sentence or two of explication, rather than brief narratives. Ackroyd has found some great quotes, and some fascinating facts, and does a superb job evoking the feeling of the city at different times and in different aspects. When he does tell a story, such as the story of the Gordon riots, he tells it well. I was left looking for more story, and fewer quotes.

A very idiosyncratic stroll through the history of London. It's not a standard history book, more vignettes of various topics related to the city. It's perfect book for bedside reading. Not a page turner that you can't put down, more like a leisurely stroll with an interesting friend with a conversation that ranges all around London. The writing is very good, and I find myself repeatedly amazed at how the author was able to organize and present such a plethora of relatively unrelated information in such a cogent manner.

"London, the Biography" by Peter Ackroyd differs from "London: The Autobiography" (by Lewis) in that the latter is a collection of writings about London by time period. In Ackroyd's Biography of London, the chapters are arranged by time period, with historical information, maps, drawings, and some quotations. Ackroyd's book is a treasure trove for the tourist visiting London's neighborhoods and monuments. The book is also very helpful with research into particular periods, offering innumberable examples and quotations from the locals. It is easier to find the odd and astounding fact in Ackroyd's book. I liked both books equally well, but have found Ackroyd's easier and more fully developed for research into this amazing, historic city.

Ackroyd is a great writer. His out of print "Dickens" is a top 10 book for me. His T.S. Eliot book is brilliant. This book shows his quality as a writer, his erudition, and his incredible familiarity with London. Overall, and probably out of necessity given the breadth of the subject, the book,is a series of essays on London topics, and not a "biography" as the title promises. Worth reading, but not an origin-to-present narrative.

Excellent book, a complete survey of the history of England through that of its capital. Many quotes of various origins to support the text. Illustrations.

Great book, easy to understand, fun to read. Contains all necessary Information about London's history to play the smart ass on next Family Meeting! :)

4 Stelle perchè anche questo è un regalo ed essendo in inglese non ho la possibilità di commentare più di tanto, so che è un libro non molto facile da reperire e quindi già questo depone a favore, l'occhiata che c'ho dato mi ha dato una buona impressione e mi pare veramente curato, transazione ok...

È il regalo ideale per gli appassionati della città che ovviamente padroneggiano la lingua; il libro è anche bello come oggetto in sè, ricco di immagini a colori. Servizio di consegna impeccabile come sempre.

Die Lieferung erfolgte prompt! Zuverlässig und empfehlenswert! Das Buch ist ein dicker Schinken und leider nicht sehr handlich. Nichtsdestotrotz, lese ich es gerne, da es Wissen und Fakten über London mit kleinen Anekdoten und Geschichten verbindet.