Cruickshank’s London: A Portrait of a City in 13 Walks (ENG)

‘All power to Cruickshank and his intrepid and knowledgeable kind. We need them.’ TLS_____London. City of ancient churches and bustling markets, palatial townhouses and modest terraces, two millennia of expansion, commerce and street life. This is its story.In Cruickshank’s London, Britain’s favourite architectural historian offers a tour through thirteen districts that made London into London. From the mysterious Anglo-Saxon roots of Hampstead Heath, via Christopher Wren’s magisterial City churches, to the industrial bustle of Victorian Bermondsey, each of his walks explores a crucial site in our capital’s history – and reveals how it forged the modern capital.Jumping between East Ham in the east and Kew in the west, Dan Cruickshank explores both world-famous buildings (the Tower of London and St Pancras Station) and oft-overlooked local landmarks (Dagenham Civic Centre and Kensal Green Cemetery). His tales reveal not only the most important moments in London’s history, but also the forgotten characters who witnessed them: the Huguenot weavers who transformed Spitalfields into a vibrant enclave of Georgian London, the visionary architects behind the likes of Somerset House and the Houses of Parliament, and the streetwalkers who once thronged London’s great sexual highway. Along the way, he peppers the book with beautiful photographs, historical sketches and handy maps, so you can immediately follow in his footsteps.Above all, Cruickshank calls on you to explore London. Every street in the city contains a story. This book invites you to hear them. Review "[An] inspiringly illustrated guide to walks across London . . . The book is engagingly personal. It proves how much we can miss if we don’t pay close attention to our surroundings and doing these walks will keep one fit to boot. It’s a nice way to tick someone’s name off your Christmas shopping list – or you might just decide to keep it for yourself." (Country Life)"There can be few people more passionate about Georgian architecture than Dan Cruickshank . . . His book is a call to explore London, because every street contains a story." (Daily Telegraph)"Such a beautiful book . . . Absolutely fascinating." (Monocle)"Dan Cruickshank reveals the capital . . . Each of these walks explores a crucial site in Londons history with maps, information and anecdotes. From big-hitters like the Tower of London and St Pancras Station to less-glamorous locales, including Dagenham Civic Centre, Cruickshank finds great stories in the Big Smoke." (Best Travel Books Shortlist)"Historic walks covering all corners of the city . . . [Cruickshank] tells little known stories including the West Ham churches inscribed with the occult symbols of the Knights Templar, and the features of Tower Bridge that were included to appease Queen Victoria’s temper." (Londonist)"A closer look at our magnificent city, under the eagle eye of Dan Cruickshank." (Robert Elms, BBC Radio London)"The mixture of wide historical coverage and precise detail that characterizes Dan Cruickshank’s television excursions is generously present . . . All power to Cruickshank and his intrepid and knowledgeable kind. We need them." (TLS) About the Author Dan Cruickshank is an architectural historian and television presenter. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgian Group, and on the Architectural Panel of the National Trust. His recent work includes the BBC television programmes Civilisation Under Attack (2015) and At Home with the British (2016), and the books A History of Architecture in 100 Buildings (2015) and Spitalfields (2016). He lives in London.

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