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London: The Autobiography
by
Jon E. Lewis
From Boudicca's savage raid on Roman London in 60AD to the bombing of 7/7, here is the 2000-year story of one of the world's greatest cities.
Paperback
,
529 pages
Published
April 1st 2009
by Robinson Publishing
(first published October 30th 2008)
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Community Reviews
(showing
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407)
A collection of excerpts from across the last 2000 years documenting London's ups and downs, dramatic growth and life-altering events.
While I should be honest and say I skipped some of the lengthier, older texts, I did get great value out of reading this and learning lots about the city I have spent so much of my life in.
My favourite entries were the coroner's report from one of Jack the Ripper's victims (truly gruesome), the crime reports from Medieval London - specifically the fraudulent baker ...more
While I should be honest and say I skipped some of the lengthier, older texts, I did get great value out of reading this and learning lots about the city I have spent so much of my life in.
My favourite entries were the coroner's report from one of Jack the Ripper's victims (truly gruesome), the crime reports from Medieval London - specifically the fraudulent baker ...more
This was a really enjoyable read. Lewis has compiled a collection of really good primary sources for this collection. His forward opens with Dr. Johnson's line "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." The sources truly reflect this statement.
The voices are primarily native Londoners, with a scattering of internationals (like Marx and Dostoyevdky) who were also eyewitnesses for key events. He starts off with Tacitus in AD 60 and ends with three passages from the 2005 terrorist bombin ...more
The voices are primarily native Londoners, with a scattering of internationals (like Marx and Dostoyevdky) who were also eyewitnesses for key events. He starts off with Tacitus in AD 60 and ends with three passages from the 2005 terrorist bombin ...more
Cut a third of the entries and this book would be fantastic. The vast majority of offerings were vivid and engrossing, an excellent selection, but unfortunately a fair number did nothing but inspire me to skip to the next section. Not all of this can be blamed on Lewis, as certain subjects should have been fascinating but were dead on arrival courtesy of the original writer. What Lewis can be held responsible for are the number of articles that gave me a "WTF? Why is this even included?" reactio
...more
I'm surprised at reviews that describe this as heavy or 'academic'. It's a selection of 1st person accounts that romp through the history of 'London'. It starts by being mainly centred round the City, obviously, and makes a few trips to a very few suburbs later on - Brixton is, of course, represented by the 1981 riots.
I found it very readable but it didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. I enjoyed reading it, but if I could turn back the clock, I probably wouldn't have bothered
I found it very readable but it didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. I enjoyed reading it, but if I could turn back the clock, I probably wouldn't have bothered
This is a fabulous book! I read it very slowly but enjoyed the many writings from various people over such a long span of time. For anyone that is interested in London, I highly recommend reading it.
There are better accounts of London than this one. Most of it was not new to me.
This is a wonderful book chronicling the history of London, starting with the sacking of Londinium by Boudicca in AD 60, all the way through the terrorist bombings of 7/7/05. Each entry begins with a small introduction, but then is described in the words of someone who actually witnessed the event. Some of the entries do go on a bit too long, but overall the book is a wonderful look back at the great city.
Rather than a chronological history of the city of London, this is a series of documents that are contemporary to the events they describe. It weaves together a fascinating "autobiography" of this great city through several millennia. At the end of many of the documents is a commentary by the author which serves to provide historical context.
It's a collection on different articles joined together.
Most of the items were interesting, there were a couple that were left in 'olde english' which made them very difficult to read but if you have an interest in the history of London, going from the end of the Roman settlement to near enough now, then this is quite intesting
Most of the items were interesting, there were a couple that were left in 'olde english' which made them very difficult to read but if you have an interest in the history of London, going from the end of the Roman settlement to near enough now, then this is quite intesting
An Amazon cheapy. It was OK the concept is good - excerpts from various works/authors/histories arranged chronologically but for whatever reason it didn't hook me and so I made desultory progress thus the 4 month reading period - it was never the book I most wanted to return to.
Got infinitely better towards the end (matter of taste in centuries, I guess...), but still a bit heavy to be more than 'liked it'.
Simply more of the same. Primary sources in a binding. My last broadly focused London history.
Interesting collection of essays about the city by eye witnesses to the events.
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Jon E. Lewis is a historian and writer, whose books on history and military history are sold worldwide. He is also editor of many
The Mammoth Book
of anthologies, including the bestselling
On the Edge
and
Endurance and Adventure
.
He holds graduate and postgraduate degrees in history. His work has appeared in New Statesman , the Independent , Time Out and the Guardian . He lives in Herefordshire with h ...more
More about Jon E. Lewis...
He holds graduate and postgraduate degrees in history. His work has appeared in New Statesman , the Independent , Time Out and the Guardian . He lives in Herefordshire with h ...more
