London: A History

London: A History by Sheppard, Francis. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780192853691.

"When a man is tired of London," Samuel Johnson noted in 1777, "he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Indeed, for almost two thousand years, London has been the political, cultural, and economic heart of Britain, and one of the great hubs of world affairs. Now, in this fascinating volume, the doyen of London historians, Francis Sheppard, provides the definitive account of Londons diverse past, from its origins as a Roman settlement (founded at the lowest bridgeable point across the Thames) to the world-class metropolis it is today. It provides a vivid account of a city which was the `deere sweete place which Chaucer loved more than any other city on earth, which was for Dickens his `magic lantern, and to Keats `a great sea, howling for more wrecks. It is also a story of much contrast and remarkable resilience; through great fires and pestilence, civil war, and the Blitz, London has rebuilt and reinvented itself for each generation. "Sheppard is the great authority to whom we all look up," Roy Porter has written. "He has made the history of London his lifes work, and I suspect theres no one in the world with so full a knowledge and so rich a grasp as he of sources, physical fabric, and all manner of details." In this colorful new history, Sheppard takes us on a fascinating voyage through Londons past. It is the definitive account of the rise to power of one of the worlds great metropolitan centers.