Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Delightful book, 07 Sep 2008
This more than just a description of a museum. This is also a journey into the history of the natural sciences and a part biography as well. Well illustarted, Richard Fortey describes an institution that is trying hard (and succeeding if the new Darwin Centre is any guide)to move with the times, make science accesible to the public, yet has more going on behind the scenes than we could ever give credit.

Anyone who lives in or visits London should pay more than one visit to this marvelous place, and thanks to this book they will be well briefed as to what goes and has gone on there.

Marvellous stuff., 18 Mar 2008
Dry Store Room No.1 is a wonderful book that allows the reader an insight into the fascinating world of the Natural History Museum, London. In this book Mr Fortey tells us; not only about the exhibits, but also about the work behind them and the men and women who carried out this work. We learn about all sorts of things from the ghastly stenches of the pit where Whale carcasses are stripped of flesh to the curator who obsessively categorized everything including "string too short for further use".

The science parts can occasionally be a bit hard to understand but like another reviewer I see that as my lack of understanding not Mr Fortey's lack of clarity and besides what would life be if we didn't stretch ourselves once in a while.

I thoroughly recommend this for the sort of person who likes a behind the scenes look at life.

dry store room no.1, 17 Mar 2008
Richard Fortey writes as always with elegance, passion and lucidity that is a plesure to read. if I haave to re-read some of the 'science' it is because I am not a scientist not his lack of clarity. all his books are informative and enlarge our view of the world.


A boring book with an interesting title, 08 Mar 2008
A very boring and tedious book that should have been left on the shelves with the other unseen exhibits.

A joy to read, 08 Mar 2008
Once again, another good book from Fortey. His writing style is completely addictive and difficult to put down - if only he would write more!

Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Delightful book, 07 Sep 2008
This more than just a description of a museum. This is also a journey into the history of the natural sciences and a part biography as well. Well illustarted, Richard Fortey describes an institution that is trying hard (and succeeding if the new Darwin Centre is any guide)to move with the times, make science accesible to the public, yet has more going on behind the scenes than we could ever give credit.

Anyone who lives in or visits London should pay more than one visit to this marvelous place, and thanks to this book they will be well briefed as to what goes and has gone on there.

Marvellous stuff., 18 Mar 2008
Dry Store Room No.1 is a wonderful book that allows the reader an insight into the fascinating world of the Natural History Museum, London. In this book Mr Fortey tells us; not only about the exhibits, but also about the work behind them and the men and women who carried out this work. We learn about all sorts of things from the ghastly stenches of the pit where Whale carcasses are stripped of flesh to the curator who obsessively categorized everything including "string too short for further use".

The science parts can occasionally be a bit hard to understand but like another reviewer I see that as my lack of understanding not Mr Fortey's lack of clarity and besides what would life be if we didn't stretch ourselves once in a while.

I thoroughly recommend this for the sort of person who likes a behind the scenes look at life.

dry store room no.1, 17 Mar 2008
Richard Fortey writes as always with elegance, passion and lucidity that is a plesure to read. if I haave to re-read some of the 'science' it is because I am not a scientist not his lack of clarity. all his books are informative and enlarge our view of the world.


A boring book with an interesting title, 08 Mar 2008
A very boring and tedious book that should have been left on the shelves with the other unseen exhibits.

A joy to read, 08 Mar 2008
Once again, another good book from Fortey. His writing style is completely addictive and difficult to put down - if only he would write more!

Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.

Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.

When the eminent novelist and biographer Peter Ackroyd finished writing London: The Biography, he almost immediately had a heart attack, such was the effort of his 800-page work about the "human body" that is this most fascinating of cities. And not just any human body either, but "envisaged in the form of a young man with his arms outstretched in a gesture of liberation... it embodies the energy and exaltation of a city continually beating in great waves of progress and of confidence."

Probably there is no one better placed than Ackroyd--the author of mammoth lives of Dickens and Blake, and novels such as Hawksmoor and Dan Leno and the Lime House Golem which set singular characters against the backdrop of a city constantly shifting in time--to write such a rich, sinewy account of "Infinite London".

Ackroyd's London is no mere chronology. Its chapters take on such varied themes as drinking, sex, childhood, poverty, crime and punishment, sewage, food, pestilence and fire, immigration, maps, theatre and war. We learn that gin was "the demon of London for half a century", and that "it has been estimated that in the 1740s and 1750s there were 17,000 'gin-houses'." Fleet Street was an area known for its "violent delights" where "a 14-year-old boy, only 18 inches high, was to be seen in 1702 at a grocer's shop called the Eagle and Child by Shoe Lane." By the mid 19th century "London had become known as the greatest city on earth." By 1939 "one in five of the British population had become a Londoner."

Though London's chapters vary meaning that it can be dipped into at random, Ackroyd is employing a skilful and continuous theme throughout, which constantly links past and present--the similarities of children's games in Lambeth in 1910 and 1999; the obsession with time--"in 21st-century London time rushes forward and is everywhere apparent", while in 18th-century London the church clock of Newgate "regulated the times of hanging." Above all, he insists that the "dark secret life" of the metropolis is as relevant today as it was in perhaps its most appropriate period, Victorian London.

Again and again Ackroyd returns to the image of London as a living organism, hence his use of the word "biography" in the title. At once awed by and intimate with this "ubiquitous" city, he stresses that "it can be located nowhere in particular... its circumference is everywhere." --Catherine Taylor

Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Delightful book, 07 Sep 2008
This more than just a description of a museum. This is also a journey into the history of the natural sciences and a part biography as well. Well illustarted, Richard Fortey describes an institution that is trying hard (and succeeding if the new Darwin Centre is any guide)to move with the times, make science accesible to the public, yet has more going on behind the scenes than we could ever give credit.

Anyone who lives in or visits London should pay more than one visit to this marvelous place, and thanks to this book they will be well briefed as to what goes and has gone on there.

Marvellous stuff., 18 Mar 2008
Dry Store Room No.1 is a wonderful book that allows the reader an insight into the fascinating world of the Natural History Museum, London. In this book Mr Fortey tells us; not only about the exhibits, but also about the work behind them and the men and women who carried out this work. We learn about all sorts of things from the ghastly stenches of the pit where Whale carcasses are stripped of flesh to the curator who obsessively categorized everything including "string too short for further use".

The science parts can occasionally be a bit hard to understand but like another reviewer I see that as my lack of understanding not Mr Fortey's lack of clarity and besides what would life be if we didn't stretch ourselves once in a while.

I thoroughly recommend this for the sort of person who likes a behind the scenes look at life.

dry store room no.1, 17 Mar 2008
Richard Fortey writes as always with elegance, passion and lucidity that is a plesure to read. if I haave to re-read some of the 'science' it is because I am not a scientist not his lack of clarity. all his books are informative and enlarge our view of the world.


A boring book with an interesting title, 08 Mar 2008
A very boring and tedious book that should have been left on the shelves with the other unseen exhibits.

A joy to read, 08 Mar 2008
Once again, another good book from Fortey. His writing style is completely addictive and difficult to put down - if only he would write more!

Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.

Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.

Limited history, 08 Aug 2008
Rambling, unfocused, poorly researched, and little real history. An enjoyable holiday read perhaps, but those looking to learn about the origins of this great city should look elsewhere. Most of the discussion centers on the 17th and 18th centuries and most of the anecdotes come from only two souces. The author could have taken the trouble to do a little more research! Very disappointing.

London Marathon, 13 Jan 2008
Couldn't/wouldn't get into it. Have read very little of it, and it was some time ago and I don't really remember it, so have no right to comment. Especially in the midst of such distinguished reviewers who have displayed the qualities required of anyone who completes the London Marathon.

But I will anyway. Viz:

I can relate to some reviewers' sentiments. Some, though not all.

One of those choice few I addressed as follows:

----

Talk of damning with faint praise! You seem to want to praise it like most of the other reviewers, but you let slip the fact that it doesn't really work for you until Page 772! Well, I personally can't be bothered to plough all the way through to Page 772 to get the gold! It's not as though there aren't any other books out there or other things I could be doing besides reading for that matter.

The following just sprang to mind regarding what [little] I've seen of Ackroyd's work:

[Onerous and] ponderous [portentous] tome, heavy with obsessiveness and lacking a certain leaven of lightness, charm and humour.

To my mind, anyway. Others have different minds, obviously.

Maybe I'll post this and see what happens if I dare to go against the flow!

----

Oh no! I've just posted it!

Well, I'll just have to sit back and see what happens.

'Tis all theatre, I'll tell myself as the brickbats fly. Ouch!

Sorry, sorry. I take it all back.

Ouch!

London in all its glory, 23 Dec 2007
I love London and am constantly excited about learning more about this, in my opinion, the best city in the world. This book is fascinating and if you can't get through it all in one go (it's a monster of a book) then you can dip in and out of it. I would recommend it to anyone whether or not you know the city well.

Love it or hate it..., 31 Jul 2007
Whether you love London or hate London, you have to admit that it has been a world-important city for centuries, perhaps millenia. Living in the place it is very easy to actually love and hate it at the same time. The detailed and well-researched book by Peter Ackroyd decribes the highs and lows of London from pre-history to 2000. The writer's strong and accessible style brings the city to life to the extent that one can almost hear it and smell it. Only one very minor quibble about people moving to the United States after the Great Fire - over a century before there was a United States - calling it the American Colonies would have been better. But that should not detract from Ackroyd's description of a city that was almost a country within a country for much of its history, and in some ways perhaps still is.

fascinating, 10 Apr 2007
very interesting, full of little known anecdotes about different aspects of the city and life in London through the ages. Often very funny as well..just couldnt put it down!

Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Delightful book, 07 Sep 2008
This more than just a description of a museum. This is also a journey into the history of the natural sciences and a part biography as well. Well illustarted, Richard Fortey describes an institution that is trying hard (and succeeding if the new Darwin Centre is any guide)to move with the times, make science accesible to the public, yet has more going on behind the scenes than we could ever give credit.

Anyone who lives in or visits London should pay more than one visit to this marvelous place, and thanks to this book they will be well briefed as to what goes and has gone on there.

Marvellous stuff., 18 Mar 2008
Dry Store Room No.1 is a wonderful book that allows the reader an insight into the fascinating world of the Natural History Museum, London. In this book Mr Fortey tells us; not only about the exhibits, but also about the work behind them and the men and women who carried out this work. We learn about all sorts of things from the ghastly stenches of the pit where Whale carcasses are stripped of flesh to the curator who obsessively categorized everything including "string too short for further use".

The science parts can occasionally be a bit hard to understand but like another reviewer I see that as my lack of understanding not Mr Fortey's lack of clarity and besides what would life be if we didn't stretch ourselves once in a while.

I thoroughly recommend this for the sort of person who likes a behind the scenes look at life.

dry store room no.1, 17 Mar 2008
Richard Fortey writes as always with elegance, passion and lucidity that is a plesure to read. if I haave to re-read some of the 'science' it is because I am not a scientist not his lack of clarity. all his books are informative and enlarge our view of the world.


A boring book with an interesting title, 08 Mar 2008
A very boring and tedious book that should have been left on the shelves with the other unseen exhibits.

A joy to read, 08 Mar 2008
Once again, another good book from Fortey. His writing style is completely addictive and difficult to put down - if only he would write more!

Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.

Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.

Limited history, 08 Aug 2008
Rambling, unfocused, poorly researched, and little real history. An enjoyable holiday read perhaps, but those looking to learn about the origins of this great city should look elsewhere. Most of the discussion centers on the 17th and 18th centuries and most of the anecdotes come from only two souces. The author could have taken the trouble to do a little more research! Very disappointing.

London Marathon, 13 Jan 2008
Couldn't/wouldn't get into it. Have read very little of it, and it was some time ago and I don't really remember it, so have no right to comment. Especially in the midst of such distinguished reviewers who have displayed the qualities required of anyone who completes the London Marathon.

But I will anyway. Viz:

I can relate to some reviewers' sentiments. Some, though not all.

One of those choice few I addressed as follows:

----

Talk of damning with faint praise! You seem to want to praise it like most of the other reviewers, but you let slip the fact that it doesn't really work for you until Page 772! Well, I personally can't be bothered to plough all the way through to Page 772 to get the gold! It's not as though there aren't any other books out there or other things I could be doing besides reading for that matter.

The following just sprang to mind regarding what [little] I've seen of Ackroyd's work:

[Onerous and] ponderous [portentous] tome, heavy with obsessiveness and lacking a certain leaven of lightness, charm and humour.

To my mind, anyway. Others have different minds, obviously.

Maybe I'll post this and see what happens if I dare to go against the flow!

----

Oh no! I've just posted it!

Well, I'll just have to sit back and see what happens.

'Tis all theatre, I'll tell myself as the brickbats fly. Ouch!

Sorry, sorry. I take it all back.

Ouch!

London in all its glory, 23 Dec 2007
I love London and am constantly excited about learning more about this, in my opinion, the best city in the world. This book is fascinating and if you can't get through it all in one go (it's a monster of a book) then you can dip in and out of it. I would recommend it to anyone whether or not you know the city well.

Love it or hate it..., 31 Jul 2007
Whether you love London or hate London, you have to admit that it has been a world-important city for centuries, perhaps millenia. Living in the place it is very easy to actually love and hate it at the same time. The detailed and well-researched book by Peter Ackroyd decribes the highs and lows of London from pre-history to 2000. The writer's strong and accessible style brings the city to life to the extent that one can almost hear it and smell it. Only one very minor quibble about people moving to the United States after the Great Fire - over a century before there was a United States - calling it the American Colonies would have been better. But that should not detract from Ackroyd's description of a city that was almost a country within a country for much of its history, and in some ways perhaps still is.

fascinating, 10 Apr 2007
very interesting, full of little known anecdotes about different aspects of the city and life in London through the ages. Often very funny as well..just couldnt put it down!

Both heart-warming and heart-breaking at once, 12 Oct 2008
Matthew Parris states in the blurb on the back of the book that reading this made him cry on a crowded train. It managed to make me burst into floods of tears in the middle of Schipol Airport at 6am - not many books manage to make me cry anywhere - let alone in public. It's a wonderfully evocative read, based on Worth's life working as midwife in 1950s London. The fascinatingly detailed descriptions of the housing, the patients, the costermongers and the nuns make the book quite un-put-down-able I found. The story of Sister Monica Joan is poignant yet makes you smile with every other line, whereas the story of Joe is heartbreaking from the off. I can't wait for the next instalment of Worth's memoirs!

An excellent follow up to Call the Midwife... can't wait for the third book, 07 Sep 2008
I read this book in 24 hours- I just could not put it down. I had high expectations, having "enjoyed" Call the Midwife. I say "enjoyed" because I also found it horrifying and I cried over the stories of Mary and Mrs Jenkins.

This book doesn't disappoint, and the stories of Jane, Peggy and Frank are just as compelling. It's written in the same style as Call the Midwife so you can really get your teeth into a character's story in each chapter.

The stories are not as bleak as CTM's- Jane finds love in later life which finally helps to restore the sparkle she lost when she was badly beaten and humiliated in the workhouse. Peggy and Frank have each other, and Joseph Collett doesn't see his own situation as bleak, and is appreciative of the filthy tenement rooms that he's been given. His story is fascinating and I think the friendship between him and Jennifer is beautifully portrayed, especially the incident in the final pages of the book.

The only gripe I have is that I thought a lot of pages were wasted on the trial of Sister Monica Joan, which I didn't find as fascinating as the author I'm afraid. But it's a small gripe, and all adds to the characters of the nuns of Nonnatus House.

Jennifer Worth is very fair in her description of workhouses. They served a purpose, even though they were ill thought out and socially destructive to those who were ripped apart from their family members. Descriptions of life in the workhouse are well written and the most grisly details are in general spared us although clearly implied- the sexual abuse that was alluded to in Frank's story for example.

I want more! I can't wait for the third book. Jennifer Worth must have thousands of stories in her head of the people she met- I want to hear them all.

A Truly Definitive Account of the Meaning of Poverty, 05 Aug 2008
I was born in the East End in the 1950's, and still live there. However, Jennifer's account has brought to life the tales my parents and grandparents told me about how much a struggle life was for so many people, barely a bus ride from where I was living. Jennifer's portrayal of Mr. Collet's demise in an 'old folk's home', in the 60's, which was little better than the workhouses of 30 years previously starkly reminds us that man's inhumanity to man can come in many different forms, no matter how affluent / civilised / reformed our societies pretend to be. This book should be read by anyone who works in public office, if only to remind them that the attitudes and conditions of the recent past have not gone away; they're still out there and will come back if we allow them to.
Jennifer's comparison of modern East London tower blocks and housing estates taking the place of the old tenements tells us that rather than improving conditions, society has simply torn down the old and replaced them with tacky copies. Jennifer Worth should have gone into politics, for judging from her excellent books, this is one person who would have made a real difference. Next time I travel through Poplar, Limehouse and Stepney, I will now do so with a new interest.

midwifery in the raw, 06 Feb 2007
This is a excellent book in many ways. It tells of a young woman's training in midwifery, undertaken under the supervision of an order of nuns whose mission was nursing and midwifery, in the poverty of east end London in the 1950's. If you are a training midwife (as I am) some of the discriptions are truly horrifying - watching a young woman die of eclampsia, stillbirths and diseases that you will never see in Britain today. It also shows how midwifery used to be practised in this country, in a time when midwives were independent and worked alone, when most women gave birth at home (sucessfully). As a social document it is also incredibly valuable - a discription of the devastation that workhouses left in their wake is a valuable reminder of how we used to treat poor people in this country, and how we must not allow shallow prejudices about teenage mothers and single parents (so easily scapegoated!) let us treat them as lesser, non-citizens. Also a useful reminder of how "the good old days" are a myth - things are better now in many ways, and there were teenage mums, drugs, prostitution and people trafficking then, too. I heartily recommend this to any one interested in midwifery, social history, and women's studies.

I will never complain about my life being hard ever again!, 30 Dec 2005
If you enjoyed Call the Midwife, you will definately enjoy this book, although the content is not midwifery related. There are three parts to the book, each containing stories of people who the author had known through her work.

Her descriptions of the hardship and poverty of early 1900's London, along with personal tragedy and sacrifice will make you weep, and feel thankful to be living in the 21st Century.

- Frank and Peggy, brother and sister, separated from their parents by death and then from each other by the workhouse... courage, hope, joy, and a real tear-jerker ending.

- Joe Collett - this story is a testament to the truly caring and generous spirit of the author - she goes above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion to befriend an old man - and hears a tale of army life and family courage spanning three wars, with more than a touch of tragedy along the way.

Beautifully written, I could not put it down.

Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Delightful book, 07 Sep 2008
This more than just a description of a museum. This is also a journey into the history of the natural sciences and a part biography as well. Well illustarted, Richard Fortey describes an institution that is trying hard (and succeeding if the new Darwin Centre is any guide)to move with the times, make science accesible to the public, yet has more going on behind the scenes than we could ever give credit.

Anyone who lives in or visits London should pay more than one visit to this marvelous place, and thanks to this book they will be well briefed as to what goes and has gone on there.

Marvellous stuff., 18 Mar 2008
Dry Store Room No.1 is a wonderful book that allows the reader an insight into the fascinating world of the Natural History Museum, London. In this book Mr Fortey tells us; not only about the exhibits, but also about the work behind them and the men and women who carried out this work. We learn about all sorts of things from the ghastly stenches of the pit where Whale carcasses are stripped of flesh to the curator who obsessively categorized everything including "string too short for further use".

The science parts can occasionally be a bit hard to understand but like another reviewer I see that as my lack of understanding not Mr Fortey's lack of clarity and besides what would life be if we didn't stretch ourselves once in a while.

I thoroughly recommend this for the sort of person who likes a behind the scenes look at life.

dry store room no.1, 17 Mar 2008
Richard Fortey writes as always with elegance, passion and lucidity that is a plesure to read. if I haave to re-read some of the 'science' it is because I am not a scientist not his lack of clarity. all his books are informative and enlarge our view of the world.


A boring book with an interesting title, 08 Mar 2008
A very boring and tedious book that should have been left on the shelves with the other unseen exhibits.

A joy to read, 08 Mar 2008
Once again, another good book from Fortey. His writing style is completely addictive and difficult to put down - if only he would write more!

Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.

Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.

Limited history, 08 Aug 2008
Rambling, unfocused, poorly researched, and little real history. An enjoyable holiday read perhaps, but those looking to learn about the origins of this great city should look elsewhere. Most of the discussion centers on the 17th and 18th centuries and most of the anecdotes come from only two souces. The author could have taken the trouble to do a little more research! Very disappointing.

London Marathon, 13 Jan 2008
Couldn't/wouldn't get into it. Have read very little of it, and it was some time ago and I don't really remember it, so have no right to comment. Especially in the midst of such distinguished reviewers who have displayed the qualities required of anyone who completes the London Marathon.

But I will anyway. Viz:

I can relate to some reviewers' sentiments. Some, though not all.

One of those choice few I addressed as follows:

----

Talk of damning with faint praise! You seem to want to praise it like most of the other reviewers, but you let slip the fact that it doesn't really work for you until Page 772! Well, I personally can't be bothered to plough all the way through to Page 772 to get the gold! It's not as though there aren't any other books out there or other things I could be doing besides reading for that matter.

The following just sprang to mind regarding what [little] I've seen of Ackroyd's work:

[Onerous and] ponderous [portentous] tome, heavy with obsessiveness and lacking a certain leaven of lightness, charm and humour.

To my mind, anyway. Others have different minds, obviously.

Maybe I'll post this and see what happens if I dare to go against the flow!

----

Oh no! I've just posted it!

Well, I'll just have to sit back and see what happens.

'Tis all theatre, I'll tell myself as the brickbats fly. Ouch!

Sorry, sorry. I take it all back.

Ouch!

London in all its glory, 23 Dec 2007
I love London and am constantly excited about learning more about this, in my opinion, the best city in the world. This book is fascinating and if you can't get through it all in one go (it's a monster of a book) then you can dip in and out of it. I would recommend it to anyone whether or not you know the city well.

Love it or hate it..., 31 Jul 2007
Whether you love London or hate London, you have to admit that it has been a world-important city for centuries, perhaps millenia. Living in the place it is very easy to actually love and hate it at the same time. The detailed and well-researched book by Peter Ackroyd decribes the highs and lows of London from pre-history to 2000. The writer's strong and accessible style brings the city to life to the extent that one can almost hear it and smell it. Only one very minor quibble about people moving to the United States after the Great Fire - over a century before there was a United States - calling it the American Colonies would have been better. But that should not detract from Ackroyd's description of a city that was almost a country within a country for much of its history, and in some ways perhaps still is.

fascinating, 10 Apr 2007
very interesting, full of little known anecdotes about different aspects of the city and life in London through the ages. Often very funny as well..just couldnt put it down!

Both heart-warming and heart-breaking at once, 12 Oct 2008
Matthew Parris states in the blurb on the back of the book that reading this made him cry on a crowded train. It managed to make me burst into floods of tears in the middle of Schipol Airport at 6am - not many books manage to make me cry anywhere - let alone in public. It's a wonderfully evocative read, based on Worth's life working as midwife in 1950s London. The fascinatingly detailed descriptions of the housing, the patients, the costermongers and the nuns make the book quite un-put-down-able I found. The story of Sister Monica Joan is poignant yet makes you smile with every other line, whereas the story of Joe is heartbreaking from the off. I can't wait for the next instalment of Worth's memoirs!

An excellent follow up to Call the Midwife... can't wait for the third book, 07 Sep 2008
I read this book in 24 hours- I just could not put it down. I had high expectations, having "enjoyed" Call the Midwife. I say "enjoyed" because I also found it horrifying and I cried over the stories of Mary and Mrs Jenkins.

This book doesn't disappoint, and the stories of Jane, Peggy and Frank are just as compelling. It's written in the same style as Call the Midwife so you can really get your teeth into a character's story in each chapter.

The stories are not as bleak as CTM's- Jane finds love in later life which finally helps to restore the sparkle she lost when she was badly beaten and humiliated in the workhouse. Peggy and Frank have each other, and Joseph Collett doesn't see his own situation as bleak, and is appreciative of the filthy tenement rooms that he's been given. His story is fascinating and I think the friendship between him and Jennifer is beautifully portrayed, especially the incident in the final pages of the book.

The only gripe I have is that I thought a lot of pages were wasted on the trial of Sister Monica Joan, which I didn't find as fascinating as the author I'm afraid. But it's a small gripe, and all adds to the characters of the nuns of Nonnatus House.

Jennifer Worth is very fair in her description of workhouses. They served a purpose, even though they were ill thought out and socially destructive to those who were ripped apart from their family members. Descriptions of life in the workhouse are well written and the most grisly details are in general spared us although clearly implied- the sexual abuse that was alluded to in Frank's story for example.

I want more! I can't wait for the third book. Jennifer Worth must have thousands of stories in her head of the people she met- I want to hear them all.

A Truly Definitive Account of the Meaning of Poverty, 05 Aug 2008
I was born in the East End in the 1950's, and still live there. However, Jennifer's account has brought to life the tales my parents and grandparents told me about how much a struggle life was for so many people, barely a bus ride from where I was living. Jennifer's portrayal of Mr. Collet's demise in an 'old folk's home', in the 60's, which was little better than the workhouses of 30 years previously starkly reminds us that man's inhumanity to man can come in many different forms, no matter how affluent / civilised / reformed our societies pretend to be. This book should be read by anyone who works in public office, if only to remind them that the attitudes and conditions of the recent past have not gone away; they're still out there and will come back if we allow them to.
Jennifer's comparison of modern East London tower blocks and housing estates taking the place of the old tenements tells us that rather than improving conditions, society has simply torn down the old and replaced them with tacky copies. Jennifer Worth should have gone into politics, for judging from her excellent books, this is one person who would have made a real difference. Next time I travel through Poplar, Limehouse and Stepney, I will now do so with a new interest.

midwifery in the raw, 06 Feb 2007
This is a excellent book in many ways. It tells of a young woman's training in midwifery, undertaken under the supervision of an order of nuns whose mission was nursing and midwifery, in the poverty of east end London in the 1950's. If you are a training midwife (as I am) some of the discriptions are truly horrifying - watching a young woman die of eclampsia, stillbirths and diseases that you will never see in Britain today. It also shows how midwifery used to be practised in this country, in a time when midwives were independent and worked alone, when most women gave birth at home (sucessfully). As a social document it is also incredibly valuable - a discription of the devastation that workhouses left in their wake is a valuable reminder of how we used to treat poor people in this country, and how we must not allow shallow prejudices about teenage mothers and single parents (so easily scapegoated!) let us treat them as lesser, non-citizens. Also a useful reminder of how "the good old days" are a myth - things are better now in many ways, and there were teenage mums, drugs, prostitution and people trafficking then, too. I heartily recommend this to any one interested in midwifery, social history, and women's studies.

I will never complain about my life being hard ever again!, 30 Dec 2005
If you enjoyed Call the Midwife, you will definately enjoy this book, although the content is not midwifery related. There are three parts to the book, each containing stories of people who the author had known through her work.

Her descriptions of the hardship and poverty of early 1900's London, along with personal tragedy and sacrifice will make you weep, and feel thankful to be living in the 21st Century.

- Frank and Peggy, brother and sister, separated from their parents by death and then from each other by the workhouse... courage, hope, joy, and a real tear-jerker ending.

- Joe Collett - this story is a testament to the truly caring and generous spirit of the author - she goes above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion to befriend an old man - and hears a tale of army life and family courage spanning three wars, with more than a touch of tragedy along the way.

Beautifully written, I could not put it down.

A good and interesting read, 27 Jul 2008
This book sparked my interest in London's history generally because you can clearly relate the happenings and statistics in this book to our present times and recent past. A thoroughly enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to reading his 20th century history of London.

Fascinating - History made real, 13 Mar 2008
This book is both informative and entertaining. What I find particularly fascinating are the various similarities to own period. Problems such as overcrowding, street crime - even the fact that statistically at least, crime figures fell during the course of the century, but people "felt" surrounded by it - seems to be remarkably familiar. I for one have to confess to a much more "cosy" image of the Victorian period (probably fuelled by too many middle-class novels and an "Upstairs Downstairs"-type of preconception. So it was most educational to be told how things really were.

simply great, 10 Jan 2008
A magical trip thru 19th.century London,it does not falter in its quest to paint a picture with words----an ex-London Cabbie.

As thorough as a text book - as entertaining as a novel, 26 Feb 2007
The breadth of this book would be astonishing enough if it wasn't also for it's coherent structure and - most importantly - lively writing. Mr White knows his subject, but he doesn't lose his thread beneath a mountain of statistics or (Peter Ackroyd take note) lose himself in flights of fancy. He brilliantly portrays, above all, the human drama which makes this such an exciting - and unique - period of history.

An astounding history: a pleasure to read., 18 Jan 2007
What a book! I don't read much history, so I was not thrilled when a friend gave me London in the Nineteenth Century as a present. I confess I had never heard of Jerry White. I dipped into it for form's sake one Friday evening, and ended up locking myself away for the rest of the weekend until I had read all 600-odd pages. Generally, reading history feels like work: not in this case. It is written with an obvious passion for its subject, and crammed with nuggets you want to read aloud to someone. It's completely free of the pompousness I associate with academic historians, and I developed a real liking for the author. He doesn't impose his intellect and learning on you, but shares it with you, so that you can't help catching his enthusiasm. It seems fluent and effortless, despite the compendious knowledge and research that went into it. The sources (all meticulously referenced) are innumerable - it's when you dip into the index and footnotes that you really begin to realise what a feat of learning this is. I can't begin to pick out favourite bits: there are too many. But where I really got hooked was in the second part, "People". At that point, it came fully alive for me. The book has a democratic feel, because so much of the material relates to the common people. Throughout the remaining chapters on "Work", "Culture" (with a fascinating study of shared and private pleasures), and "Law and Order", it read as easily and engagingly as a novel.

As soon as I finished this I had to find myself a copy of the same author's "London in the Twentieth Century" - which, scandalously, is out of print! I eventually tracked it down on the internet, and found to my delight it is every bit as good. I can only hope he will tackle another century or two.

Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Delightful book, 07 Sep 2008
This more than just a description of a museum. This is also a journey into the history of the natural sciences and a part biography as well. Well illustarted, Richard Fortey describes an institution that is trying hard (and succeeding if the new Darwin Centre is any guide)to move with the times, make science accesible to the public, yet has more going on behind the scenes than we could ever give credit.

Anyone who lives in or visits London should pay more than one visit to this marvelous place, and thanks to this book they will be well briefed as to what goes and has gone on there.

Marvellous stuff., 18 Mar 2008
Dry Store Room No.1 is a wonderful book that allows the reader an insight into the fascinating world of the Natural History Museum, London. In this book Mr Fortey tells us; not only about the exhibits, but also about the work behind them and the men and women who carried out this work. We learn about all sorts of things from the ghastly stenches of the pit where Whale carcasses are stripped of flesh to the curator who obsessively categorized everything including "string too short for further use".

The science parts can occasionally be a bit hard to understand but like another reviewer I see that as my lack of understanding not Mr Fortey's lack of clarity and besides what would life be if we didn't stretch ourselves once in a while.

I thoroughly recommend this for the sort of person who likes a behind the scenes look at life.

dry store room no.1, 17 Mar 2008
Richard Fortey writes as always with elegance, passion and lucidity that is a plesure to read. if I haave to re-read some of the 'science' it is because I am not a scientist not his lack of clarity. all his books are informative and enlarge our view of the world.


A boring book with an interesting title, 08 Mar 2008
A very boring and tedious book that should have been left on the shelves with the other unseen exhibits.

A joy to read, 08 Mar 2008
Once again, another good book from Fortey. His writing style is completely addictive and difficult to put down - if only he would write more!

Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.

Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.

Limited history, 08 Aug 2008
Rambling, unfocused, poorly researched, and little real history. An enjoyable holiday read perhaps, but those looking to learn about the origins of this great city should look elsewhere. Most of the discussion centers on the 17th and 18th centuries and most of the anecdotes come from only two souces. The author could have taken the trouble to do a little more research! Very disappointing.

London Marathon, 13 Jan 2008
Couldn't/wouldn't get into it. Have read very little of it, and it was some time ago and I don't really remember it, so have no right to comment. Especially in the midst of such distinguished reviewers who have displayed the qualities required of anyone who completes the London Marathon.

But I will anyway. Viz:

I can relate to some reviewers' sentiments. Some, though not all.

One of those choice few I addressed as follows:

----

Talk of damning with faint praise! You seem to want to praise it like most of the other reviewers, but you let slip the fact that it doesn't really work for you until Page 772! Well, I personally can't be bothered to plough all the way through to Page 772 to get the gold! It's not as though there aren't any other books out there or other things I could be doing besides reading for that matter.

The following just sprang to mind regarding what [little] I've seen of Ackroyd's work:

[Onerous and] ponderous [portentous] tome, heavy with obsessiveness and lacking a certain leaven of lightness, charm and humour.

To my mind, anyway. Others have different minds, obviously.

Maybe I'll post this and see what happens if I dare to go against the flow!

----

Oh no! I've just posted it!

Well, I'll just have to sit back and see what happens.

'Tis all theatre, I'll tell myself as the brickbats fly. Ouch!

Sorry, sorry. I take it all back.

Ouch!

London in all its glory, 23 Dec 2007
I love London and am constantly excited about learning more about this, in my opinion, the best city in the world. This book is fascinating and if you can't get through it all in one go (it's a monster of a book) then you can dip in and out of it. I would recommend it to anyone whether or not you know the city well.

Love it or hate it..., 31 Jul 2007
Whether you love London or hate London, you have to admit that it has been a world-important city for centuries, perhaps millenia. Living in the place it is very easy to actually love and hate it at the same time. The detailed and well-researched book by Peter Ackroyd decribes the highs and lows of London from pre-history to 2000. The writer's strong and accessible style brings the city to life to the extent that one can almost hear it and smell it. Only one very minor quibble about people moving to the United States after the Great Fire - over a century before there was a United States - calling it the American Colonies would have been better. But that should not detract from Ackroyd's description of a city that was almost a country within a country for much of its history, and in some ways perhaps still is.

fascinating, 10 Apr 2007
very interesting, full of little known anecdotes about different aspects of the city and life in London through the ages. Often very funny as well..just couldnt put it down!

Both heart-warming and heart-breaking at once, 12 Oct 2008
Matthew Parris states in the blurb on the back of the book that reading this made him cry on a crowded train. It managed to make me burst into floods of tears in the middle of Schipol Airport at 6am - not many books manage to make me cry anywhere - let alone in public. It's a wonderfully evocative read, based on Worth's life working as midwife in 1950s London. The fascinatingly detailed descriptions of the housing, the patients, the costermongers and the nuns make the book quite un-put-down-able I found. The story of Sister Monica Joan is poignant yet makes you smile with every other line, whereas the story of Joe is heartbreaking from the off. I can't wait for the next instalment of Worth's memoirs!

An excellent follow up to Call the Midwife... can't wait for the third book, 07 Sep 2008
I read this book in 24 hours- I just could not put it down. I had high expectations, having "enjoyed" Call the Midwife. I say "enjoyed" because I also found it horrifying and I cried over the stories of Mary and Mrs Jenkins.

This book doesn't disappoint, and the stories of Jane, Peggy and Frank are just as compelling. It's written in the same style as Call the Midwife so you can really get your teeth into a character's story in each chapter.

The stories are not as bleak as CTM's- Jane finds love in later life which finally helps to restore the sparkle she lost when she was badly beaten and humiliated in the workhouse. Peggy and Frank have each other, and Joseph Collett doesn't see his own situation as bleak, and is appreciative of the filthy tenement rooms that he's been given. His story is fascinating and I think the friendship between him and Jennifer is beautifully portrayed, especially the incident in the final pages of the book.

The only gripe I have is that I thought a lot of pages were wasted on the trial of Sister Monica Joan, which I didn't find as fascinating as the author I'm afraid. But it's a small gripe, and all adds to the characters of the nuns of Nonnatus House.

Jennifer Worth is very fair in her description of workhouses. They served a purpose, even though they were ill thought out and socially destructive to those who were ripped apart from their family members. Descriptions of life in the workhouse are well written and the most grisly details are in general spared us although clearly implied- the sexual abuse that was alluded to in Frank's story for example.

I want more! I can't wait for the third book. Jennifer Worth must have thousands of stories in her head of the people she met- I want to hear them all.

A Truly Definitive Account of the Meaning of Poverty, 05 Aug 2008
I was born in the East End in the 1950's, and still live there. However, Jennifer's account has brought to life the tales my parents and grandparents told me about how much a struggle life was for so many people, barely a bus ride from where I was living. Jennifer's portrayal of Mr. Collet's demise in an 'old folk's home', in the 60's, which was little better than the workhouses of 30 years previously starkly reminds us that man's inhumanity to man can come in many different forms, no matter how affluent / civilised / reformed our societies pretend to be. This book should be read by anyone who works in public office, if only to remind them that the attitudes and conditions of the recent past have not gone away; they're still out there and will come back if we allow them to.
Jennifer's comparison of modern East London tower blocks and housing estates taking the place of the old tenements tells us that rather than improving conditions, society has simply torn down the old and replaced them with tacky copies. Jennifer Worth should have gone into politics, for judging from her excellent books, this is one person who would have made a real difference. Next time I travel through Poplar, Limehouse and Stepney, I will now do so with a new interest.

midwifery in the raw, 06 Feb 2007
This is a excellent book in many ways. It tells of a young woman's training in midwifery, undertaken under the supervision of an order of nuns whose mission was nursing and midwifery, in the poverty of east end London in the 1950's. If you are a training midwife (as I am) some of the discriptions are truly horrifying - watching a young woman die of eclampsia, stillbirths and diseases that you will never see in Britain today. It also shows how midwifery used to be practised in this country, in a time when midwives were independent and worked alone, when most women gave birth at home (sucessfully). As a social document it is also incredibly valuable - a discription of the devastation that workhouses left in their wake is a valuable reminder of how we used to treat poor people in this country, and how we must not allow shallow prejudices about teenage mothers and single parents (so easily scapegoated!) let us treat them as lesser, non-citizens. Also a useful reminder of how "the good old days" are a myth - things are better now in many ways, and there were teenage mums, drugs, prostitution and people trafficking then, too. I heartily recommend this to any one interested in midwifery, social history, and women's studies.

I will never complain about my life being hard ever again!, 30 Dec 2005
If you enjoyed Call the Midwife, you will definately enjoy this book, although the content is not midwifery related. There are three parts to the book, each containing stories of people who the author had known through her work.

Her descriptions of the hardship and poverty of early 1900's London, along with personal tragedy and sacrifice will make you weep, and feel thankful to be living in the 21st Century.

- Frank and Peggy, brother and sister, separated from their parents by death and then from each other by the workhouse... courage, hope, joy, and a real tear-jerker ending.

- Joe Collett - this story is a testament to the truly caring and generous spirit of the author - she goes above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion to befriend an old man - and hears a tale of army life and family courage spanning three wars, with more than a touch of tragedy along the way.

Beautifully written, I could not put it down.

A good and interesting read, 27 Jul 2008
This book sparked my interest in London's history generally because you can clearly relate the happenings and statistics in this book to our present times and recent past. A thoroughly enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to reading his 20th century history of London.

Fascinating - History made real, 13 Mar 2008
This book is both informative and entertaining. What I find particularly fascinating are the various similarities to own period. Problems such as overcrowding, street crime - even the fact that statistically at least, crime figures fell during the course of the century, but people "felt" surrounded by it - seems to be remarkably familiar. I for one have to confess to a much more "cosy" image of the Victorian period (probably fuelled by too many middle-class novels and an "Upstairs Downstairs"-type of preconception. So it was most educational to be told how things really were.

simply great, 10 Jan 2008
A magical trip thru 19th.century London,it does not falter in its quest to paint a picture with words----an ex-London Cabbie.

As thorough as a text book - as entertaining as a novel, 26 Feb 2007
The breadth of this book would be astonishing enough if it wasn't also for it's coherent structure and - most importantly - lively writing. Mr White knows his subject, but he doesn't lose his thread beneath a mountain of statistics or (Peter Ackroyd take note) lose himself in flights of fancy. He brilliantly portrays, above all, the human drama which makes this such an exciting - and unique - period of history.

An astounding history: a pleasure to read., 18 Jan 2007
What a book! I don't read much history, so I was not thrilled when a friend gave me London in the Nineteenth Century as a present. I confess I had never heard of Jerry White. I dipped into it for form's sake one Friday evening, and ended up locking myself away for the rest of the weekend until I had read all 600-odd pages. Generally, reading history feels like work: not in this case. It is written with an obvious passion for its subject, and crammed with nuggets you want to read aloud to someone. It's completely free of the pompousness I associate with academic historians, and I developed a real liking for the author. He doesn't impose his intellect and learning on you, but shares it with you, so that you can't help catching his enthusiasm. It seems fluent and effortless, despite the compendious knowledge and research that went into it. The sources (all meticulously referenced) are innumerable - it's when you dip into the index and footnotes that you really begin to realise what a feat of learning this is. I can't begin to pick out favourite bits: there are too many. But where I really got hooked was in the second part, "People". At that point, it came fully alive for me. The book has a democratic feel, because so much of the material relates to the common people. Throughout the remaining chapters on "Work", "Culture" (with a fascinating study of shared and private pleasures), and "Law and Order", it read as easily and engagingly as a novel.

As soon as I finished this I had to find myself a copy of the same author's "London in the Twentieth Century" - which, scandalously, is out of print! I eventually tracked it down on the internet, and found to my delight it is every bit as good. I can only hope he will tackle another century or two.


Potentially interesting - poorly executed, 16 Nov 2008
I know a little about the Tube, gleaned from websites and many years' use as a tourist and then commuter.

I expected an interesting read from this book - the reviews on here suggest it's well-written, insightful history provided in a well-constructed format.

It is none of the above.

This book needs a serious re-edit, the addition of many maps and diagrams to explain the development of the various railways over time and some judicious re-writing to explain many of the points alluded to.

There are many examples where the Author's writing abilities aren't up to the job - the result is a confusing and often contradictory account.

I suggest you ensure you have access to the internet and a copy of the standard tube map to help you follow the narrative.

This book can't even provide a decent modern tube map, half the Northern Line and the southern section of the Bakerloo are missing, swallowed by the gutter. A frankly pathetic production error in a book about the Tube!

The book also assumes you'll spend time working mnay things out for yourself (Bishop's Road was a station near Paddington - or perhaps it was a previous name for Paddington? who knows?) and have a working knowledge of mainline connections & termini (these are a fundamental part of the story, either as competition to the tube or as a driving factor for its development). Again no map is provided.

All in all this is a near miss. There is a truly fascinating story to be told but this author/edition isn't up to the task.

Wolmar takes you down under. , 03 Apr 2008
Christian Wolmar is a journalist who happens to have an interest in trains and this is one of many books he has written on the subject over the last 10 years.
Subterranean Railway focuses on the London Underground and how it grew to what we travel on today in our millions year on year.
Now personally I can just about tolerate the Underground in off peak times but when it comes to the peak hours it has to been one of the worse traveling experiences known to man or woman.
So with that in mind this book made me sit up and take notice of what a great feat on engineering the London Underground really is and still remains, the photo of Piccadilly Circus in chapter thirteen illustrates this point very well indeed.
In Chapters 1 to 13 Christian takes you on a journey from the Underground's construction during the 1850's and the subjacent creation of the first underground line the Metropolitan, then he goes on to explain the building and politics behind all the lines and finishes this part of the book with the story behind the creation of what is know as Metroland or to use another term, suburban London.
In Chapter 14 Christian goes onto explain the use of the underground during the war years and how it helped save many lives during the German bombing raids.
The London Underground is not without its problems by any means and in the last chapter Christian briefly explains why a lack of investment since the 1960's lead to a sad decline which was only turned around after the Kings Cross fire in the 1987.
Christian has done his research and because of this his book introduces and brings alive in your mind all the people that have played their part in the history of the Underground.
The reason I give this book a 4 star rating and not a 5 is I don't think there is enough pictures to compliment the Underground's early history and it can be sometimes hard to image what the old coaches and carriages use to look and feel like in them early years.
The book won't change your journey experience on the Underground but it will help you to appreciate and be proud of it.


A compelling account of a masterful creation, 22 Mar 2008
This book looks at the creation of the underground from all angles: political, technical, social - and is interesting throughout. The author's sense of humour and well chosen quotes brings a sense of reverie to the experience, as one imagines what it must have been like at the beginning, and in comparison to the present day. It's nice to see a book which really underlines what a remarkable achievement the London Underground, was how important a creation it has proved to be.

surprisingly fascinating and readable history, 05 Jan 2008
Well researched lively and interesting history of the World's oldest and
most respected underground railway.
What amazing people the Victorians were in their vision and their incredible technological bravura.Also the many thousands of workers who built and ran the line are given due acknowledgement.
A great read.

Travelling to Burnt Oak, 18 Nov 2007
Christian Wolmar has produced an excellent book with a fair sprinkling of characters, politics and high finance. Anyone who is seen to take the underground for granted should be handed a copy of this book to learn just how remarkable a thing it is. Similarly, as a history of the underground, this is an excellent start.

The only disappointment is the brevity of coverage of events post 1945. The building of the Victoria and Jubilee lines are covered, but nowhere to the depth of earlier lines. Some discussion of how these lines came about would have been an interesting study in allowing politicians to run a railway.

But such criticisms are small compared to a book on railways that doesn't require an anorak to enjoy.

Become a London-bore!, 29 Apr 2008
This is an excellent 'by the bed' book for dipping in and out of. Each section has a generous selection of interesting gems and more bizarre nuggets about the capital that will make any reader an instant London Bore or a valued member of any pub-quiz team (admittedly only for the London questions!). Certainly a book worth having even if you don't have a huge thirst for knowledge about London - this will gently change that without you even noticing.

I never knew that about london, 03 Mar 2008
thought i knew every thing
about london until read
this great little
book

Entertaining & informative anecdotes, 13 Jan 2008
I find this book incredibly useful & great for people that like their superlatives. As the title suggests, there are some lovely little nuggets of information you won't find elswhere. Thoroughly recommended

Delightful book, 07 Sep 2008
This more than just a description of a museum. This is also a journey into the history of the natural sciences and a part biography as well. Well illustarted, Richard Fortey describes an institution that is trying hard (and succeeding if the new Darwin Centre is any guide)to move with the times, make science accesible to the public, yet has more going on behind the scenes than we could ever give credit.

Anyone who lives in or visits London should pay more than one visit to this marvelous place, and thanks to this book they will be well briefed as to what goes and has gone on there.

Marvellous stuff., 18 Mar 2008
Dry Store Room No.1 is a wonderful book that allows the reader an insight into the fascinating world of the Natural History Museum, London. In this book Mr Fortey tells us; not only about the exhibits, but also about the work behind them and the men and women who carried out this work. We learn about all sorts of things from the ghastly stenches of the pit where Whale carcasses are stripped of flesh to the curator who obsessively categorized everything including "string too short for further use".

The science parts can occasionally be a bit hard to understand but like another reviewer I see that as my lack of understanding not Mr Fortey's lack of clarity and besides what would life be if we didn't stretch ourselves once in a while.

I thoroughly recommend this for the sort of person who likes a behind the scenes look at life.

dry store room no.1, 17 Mar 2008
Richard Fortey writes as always with elegance, passion and lucidity that is a plesure to read. if I haave to re-read some of the 'science' it is because I am not a scientist not his lack of clarity. all his books are informative and enlarge our view of the world.


A boring book with an interesting title, 08 Mar 2008
A very boring and tedious book that should have been left on the shelves with the other unseen exhibits.

A joy to read, 08 Mar 2008
Once again, another good book from Fortey. His writing style is completely addictive and difficult to put down - if only he would write more!

Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.

Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.

Limited history, 08 Aug 2008
Rambling, unfocused, poorly researched, and little real history. An enjoyable holiday read perhaps, but those looking to learn about the origins of this great city should look elsewhere. Most of the discussion centers on the 17th and 18th centuries and most of the anecdotes come from only two souces. The author could have taken the trouble to do a little more research! Very disappointing.

London Marathon, 13 Jan 2008
Couldn't/wouldn't get into it. Have read very little of it, and it was some time ago and I don't really remember it, so have no right to comment. Especially in the midst of such distinguished reviewers who have displayed the qualities required of anyone who completes the London Marathon.

But I will anyway. Viz:

I can relate to some reviewers' sentiments. Some, though not all.

One of those choice few I addressed as follows:

----

Talk of damning with faint praise! You seem to want to praise it like most of the other reviewers, but you let slip the fact that it doesn't really work for you until Page 772! Well, I personally can't be bothered to plough all the way through to Page 772 to get the gold! It's not as though there aren't any other books out there or other things I could be doing besides reading for that matter.

The following just sprang to mind regarding what [little] I've seen of Ackroyd's work:

[Onerous and] ponderous [portentous] tome, heavy with obsessiveness and lacking a certain leaven of lightness, charm and humour.

To my mind, anyway. Others have different minds, obviously.

Maybe I'll post this and see what happens if I dare to go against the flow!

----

Oh no! I've just posted it!

Well, I'll just have to sit back and see what happens.

'Tis all theatre, I'll tell myself as the brickbats fly. Ouch!

Sorry, sorry. I take it all back.

Ouch!

London in all its glory, 23 Dec 2007
I love London and am constantly excited about learning more about this, in my opinion, the best city in the world. This book is fascinating and if you can't get through it all in one go (it's a monster of a book) then you can dip in and out of it. I would recommend it to anyone whether or not you know the city well.

Love it or hate it..., 31 Jul 2007
Whether you love London or hate London, you have to admit that it has been a world-important city for centuries, perhaps millenia. Living in the place it is very easy to actually love and hate it at the same time. The detailed and well-researched book by Peter Ackroyd decribes the highs and lows of London from pre-history to 2000. The writer's strong and accessible style brings the city to life to the extent that one can almost hear it and smell it. Only one very minor quibble about people moving to the United States after the Great Fire - over a century before there was a United States - calling it the American Colonies would have been better. But that should not detract from Ackroyd's description of a city that was almost a country within a country for much of its history, and in some ways perhaps still is.

fascinating, 10 Apr 2007
very interesting, full of little known anecdotes about different aspects of the city and life in London through the ages. Often very funny as well..just couldnt put it down!

Both heart-warming and heart-breaking at once, 12 Oct 2008
Matthew Parris states in the blurb on the back of the book that reading this made him cry on a crowded train. It managed to make me burst into floods of tears in the middle of Schipol Airport at 6am - not many books manage to make me cry anywhere - let alone in public. It's a wonderfully evocative read, based on Worth's life working as midwife in 1950s London. The fascinatingly detailed descriptions of the housing, the patients, the costermongers and the nuns make the book quite un-put-down-able I found. The story of Sister Monica Joan is poignant yet makes you smile with every other line, whereas the story of Joe is heartbreaking from the off. I can't wait for the next instalment of Worth's memoirs!

An excellent follow up to Call the Midwife... can't wait for the third book, 07 Sep 2008
I read this book in 24 hours- I just could not put it down. I had high expectations, having "enjoyed" Call the Midwife. I say "enjoyed" because I also found it horrifying and I cried over the stories of Mary and Mrs Jenkins.

This book doesn't disappoint, and the stories of Jane, Peggy and Frank are just as compelling. It's written in the same style as Call the Midwife so you can really get your teeth into a character's story in each chapter.

The stories are not as bleak as CTM's- Jane finds love in later life which finally helps to restore the sparkle she lost when she was badly beaten and humiliated in the workhouse. Peggy and Frank have each other, and Joseph Collett doesn't see his own situation as bleak, and is appreciative of the filthy tenement rooms that he's been given. His story is fascinating and I think the friendship between him and Jennifer is beautifully portrayed, especially the incident in the final pages of the book.

The only gripe I have is that I thought a lot of pages were wasted on the trial of Sister Monica Joan, which I didn't find as fascinating as the author I'm afraid. But it's a small gripe, and all adds to the characters of the nuns of Nonnatus House.

Jennifer Worth is very fair in her description of workhouses. They served a purpose, even though they were ill thought out and socially destructive to those who were ripped apart from their family members. Descriptions of life in the workhouse are well written and the most grisly details are in general spared us although clearly implied- the sexual abuse that was alluded to in Frank's story for example.

I want more! I can't wait for the third book. Jennifer Worth must have thousands of stories in her head of the people she met- I want to hear them all.

A Truly Definitive Account of the Meaning of Poverty, 05 Aug 2008
I was born in the East End in the 1950's, and still live there. However, Jennifer's account has brought to life the tales my parents and grandparents told me about how much a struggle life was for so many people, barely a bus ride from where I was living. Jennifer's portrayal of Mr. Collet's demise in an 'old folk's home', in the 60's, which was little better than the workhouses of 30 years previously starkly reminds us that man's inhumanity to man can come in many different forms, no matter how affluent / civilised / reformed our societies pretend to be. This book should be read by anyone who works in public office, if only to remind them that the attitudes and conditions of the recent past have not gone away; they're still out there and will come back if we allow them to.
Jennifer's comparison of modern East London tower blocks and housing estates taking the place of the old tenements tells us that rather than improving conditions, society has simply torn down the old and replaced them with tacky copies. Jennifer Worth should have gone into politics, for judging from her excellent books, this is one person who would have made a real difference. Next time I travel through Poplar, Limehouse and Stepney, I will now do so with a new interest.

midwifery in the raw, 06 Feb 2007
This is a excellent book in many ways. It tells of a young woman's training in midwifery, undertaken under the supervision of an order of nuns whose mission was nursing and midwifery, in the poverty of east end London in the 1950's. If you are a training midwife (as I am) some of the discriptions are truly horrifying - watching a young woman die of eclampsia, stillbirths and diseases that you will never see in Britain today. It also shows how midwifery used to be practised in this country, in a time when midwives were independent and worked alone, when most women gave birth at home (sucessfully). As a social document it is also incredibly valuable - a discription of the devastation that workhouses left in their wake is a valuable reminder of how we used to treat poor people in this country, and how we must not allow shallow prejudices about teenage mothers and single parents (so easily scapegoated!) let us treat them as lesser, non-citizens. Also a useful reminder of how "the good old days" are a myth - things are better now in many ways, and there were teenage mums, drugs, prostitution and people trafficking then, too. I heartily recommend this to any one interested in midwifery, social history, and women's studies.

I will never complain about my life being hard ever again!, 30 Dec 2005
If you enjoyed Call the Midwife, you will definately enjoy this book, although the content is not midwifery related. There are three parts to the book, each containing stories of people who the author had known through her work.

Her descriptions of the hardship and poverty of early 1900's London, along with personal tragedy and sacrifice will make you weep, and feel thankful to be living in the 21st Century.

- Frank and Peggy, brother and sister, separated from their parents by death and then from each other by the workhouse... courage, hope, joy, and a real tear-jerker ending.

- Joe Collett - this story is a testament to the truly caring and generous spirit of the author - she goes above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion to befriend an old man - and hears a tale of army life and family courage spanning three wars, with more than a touch of tragedy along the way.

Beautifully written, I could not put it down.

A good and interesting read, 27 Jul 2008
This book sparked my interest in London's history generally because you can clearly relate the happenings and statistics in this book to our present times and recent past. A thoroughly enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to reading his 20th century history of London.

Fascinating - History made real, 13 Mar 2008
This book is both informative and entertaining. What I find particularly fascinating are the various similarities to own period. Problems such as overcrowding, street crime - even the fact that statistically at least, crime figures fell during the course of the century, but people "felt" surrounded by it - seems to be remarkably familiar. I for one have to confess to a much more "cosy" image of the Victorian period (probably fuelled by too many middle-class novels and an "Upstairs Downstairs"-type of preconception. So it was most educational to be told how things really were.

simply great, 10 Jan 2008
A magical trip thru 19th.century London,it does not falter in its quest to paint a picture with words----an ex-London Cabbie.

As thorough as a text book - as entertaining as a novel, 26 Feb 2007
The breadth of this book would be astonishing enough if it wasn't also for it's coherent structure and - most importantly - lively writing. Mr White knows his subject, but he doesn't lose his thread beneath a mountain of statistics or (Peter Ackroyd take note) lose himself in flights of fancy. He brilliantly portrays, above all, the human drama which makes this such an exciting - and unique - period of history.

An astounding history: a pleasure to read., 18 Jan 2007
What a book! I don't read much history, so I was not thrilled when a friend gave me London in the Nineteenth Century as a present. I confess I had never heard of Jerry White. I dipped into it for form's sake one Friday evening, and ended up locking myself away for the rest of the weekend until I had read all 600-odd pages. Generally, reading history feels like work: not in this case. It is written with an obvious passion for its subject, and crammed with nuggets you want to read aloud to someone. It's completely free of the pompousness I associate with academic historians, and I developed a real liking for the author. He doesn't impose his intellect and learning on you, but shares it with you, so that you can't help catching his enthusiasm. It seems fluent and effortless, despite the compendious knowledge and research that went into it. The sources (all meticulously referenced) are innumerable - it's when you dip into the index and footnotes that you really begin to realise what a feat of learning this is. I can't begin to pick out favourite bits: there are too many. But where I really got hooked was in the second part, "People". At that point, it came fully alive for me. The book has a democratic feel, because so much of the material relates to the common people. Throughout the remaining chapters on "Work", "Culture" (with a fascinating study of shared and private pleasures), and "Law and Order", it read as easily and engagingly as a novel.

As soon as I finished this I had to find myself a copy of the same author's "London in the Twentieth Century" - which, scandalously, is out of print! I eventually tracked it down on the internet, and found to my delight it is every bit as good. I can only hope he will tackle another century or two.


Potentially interesting - poorly executed, 16 Nov 2008
I know a little about the Tube, gleaned from websites and many years' use as a tourist and then commuter.

I expected an interesting read from this book - the reviews on here suggest it's well-written, insightful history provided in a well-constructed format.

It is none of the above.

This book needs a serious re-edit, the addition of many maps and diagrams to explain the development of the various railways over time and some judicious re-writing to explain many of the points alluded to.

There are many examples where the Author's writing abilities aren't up to the job - the result is a confusing and often contradictory account.

I suggest you ensure you have access to the internet and a copy of the standard tube map to help you follow the narrative.

This book can't even provide a decent modern tube map, half the Northern Line and the southern section of the Bakerloo are missing, swallowed by the gutter. A frankly pathetic production error in a book about the Tube!

The book also assumes you'll spen