Walking Dickens' London

by Lee Jackson

Overview

Written by the acclaimed historical novelist Lee Jackson, this book recreates the sights and sounds of Dickens' London and provides a detailed itinerary for those keen to follow in the footsteps of 'The Inimitable Boz'. Each of the eight walks conjures up forgotten scenes of London life – stage-coaches racing through the Borough; herds of cattle driven through suburban streets to reach Smithfield market; the uproar of a hanging outside Newgate Gaol – together with directions to the most atmospheric and intriguing parts of the Victorian metropolis which have survived into the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780747812333
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	05/20/2012
Series:	Shire General , #3
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	136
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Lee Jackson is a writer and novelist, an acknowledged expert on the nineteenth century metropolis. He has written seven historical crime novels, set in Victorian London, published in the UK, Commonwealth and France. His popular website 'The Dictionary of Victorian London' (www.victorianlondon.org) attracts two thousand unique visitors a day, and is number one for 'Victorian London' on all major search engines. A massive encyclopaedia of Victorian books, journals, newspaper cuttings, maps, diary entries (et al.) the site is regularly cited by academics, genealogists, novelists and much enjoyed by the general public. Lee has lectured on Victorian topics for libraries and museums in Kensington&Chelsea, City of London and for the Museum of London, and Museum of London Docklands.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Walk 1: St. James' and Mayfair
Walk 2: Soho and Covent Garden
Walk 3: The Strand and Fleet Street
Walk 4: Bloomsbury and King's Cross
Walk 5: Holborn
Walk 6: Clerkenwell
Walk 7: St. Paul's and Borough
Walk 8: City and Riverside
Index

Editorial Reviews

Many London walking guides have trailed the footsteps of Dickens or his characters. This one is easy in the hand, nicely illustrated, and clearly written. Jackson (www.victorianlondon.org) eschews the larger metropolis, with its ties to Dickens's life, for eight walks within central London, thereby getting to the core of the city Dickens loved and its many representations and echoes in his books. Each walk, titled by the area covered, is described in about 15 pages, starting with basics such as where to begin, nearest tube station, walking time, and relevant opening hours. Jackson's narratives then each elegantly combine historical, Dickensian, and present-day details, enhanced with fine old and new illustrations and one neighborhood map per walk. Readers can use the index to trace references to particular novels. VERDICT Recommended to all visiting London, even if they think they are just going there for the Olympics!

Library Journal