Phil BakerLondon: City of Cities (Cityscopes)

There are many many excellent London books but this new one stands out. It seems to have new material - or fresh to this reader at any rate - gems like the Dagenham Idol, and the Suffragette Balloon: a mini Zeppelin in 1909 with a woman going to bomb the Houses of Parliament with leaflets. The author has arguments to make about the idea of Gothic, and the idea of retro in London, which he sees as a kind of self-parody gripping the city. There are lovely details such as a visit to a dog cemetery with “Dear Old Ponto” and “Faithful Wobbles”, or the charming but bizarre wooden raspberry pips essential for fake jam. The periods the author is obviously particularly interested in shine out - Victorian London and swinging 1960s London are just two. And he includes the staples like Hogarth or Jack the Ripper, along with fascinating passages about William Blake. This is an author who has explored and really seems to know and love London. He does a dutiful job with social problems, and is forthright in his criticism of the spread of high-rise or concrete development; what he calls “skyline pollution” and the loss of character or atmosphere. Listings at the back are good – Malaysian café in Soho, Great Vine in Hampton Court for grapes, a pie and mash shop, a very obscure Italian film ‘Naked England’; there is a lot to like in this book and the author sounds a likeable chap. I look forward to exploring Phil Baker's London more thoroughly now the city is opening up again after lockdown. A wonderful read.

Not just another guidebook. As a long-term Londoner who thought I knew my city back to front it has inspired me to get off my couch and take some of the walks Baker went on. He has a real gift for entertaining yet at the same time informative social history. Very well researched but never dry. The illustrations are unusual and invariably a pleasure. Highly recommended as much or more for Londoners as for those who are new to the city.

A well produced and highly readable guide to London and its history. The Zeppelin raids, the golden grasshopper of Lombard St and the youth cultures of the twentieth century are all here, along with many other fascinating aspects of this amazing city. It's nicely illustrated with numerous photos and has a carefully chosen listings section.

After reading this book, I felt I had a much deeper understanding of the capital. In it, Phil Baker articulates the essence of what may be the greatest city in the world.Perhaps my favourite part is the chapter that covers London in the 60s. The music scene is there, of course, (the usual suspects -The Beatles and The Stones - as well as the likes of The Yardbirds and Soft Machine), but one also gets a sense of how developments in a variety of arenas led to radical societal change; politics, music, art, literature, fashion design, photography and the arrival of new kinds of youth culture are all in the mix. A roll-call might give some idea of the flavour of the 60s that Baker gives us: Terence Conran, Katherine Whitefield, Vidal Sassoon, Harold Wilson, Twiggy, Michael Caine, Lord Litchfield and Barry Miles. Baker's analysis of the elements of the era that had the most profound effect is pithy and revelatory.This excellent book is a succinct exploration of the history and character of our world city. Highly recommended.

wide ranging and wonderful in every way - a must read

Engagingly written, deeply researched volume of historical essays and modern-day dérives, a wonderful introduction to the city. Superbly illustrated too. In a crowded field, an instant classic.