Review Detail

What worked: Well-researched book going over some key historical facts of London. This coffee table-sized book starts 2.6 million years ago and ends with Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.

Some facts I found fascinating include:

The history behind the Romans invading, settling, and suddenly leaving London.

The Vikings invading and the source behind the English nursery rhyme, "London Bridge is falling Down'.

Henry III started a royal menagerie in 1235 with all the exotic animals his foreign visitors brought. I admit, I feel bad for those animals as the conditions had to have been appalling.

Harrod's first escalator in 1898 induced excitement and ladies to be overcome by terror.

There's also mention of King Henry VIII; the women's suffragette movement in 1906; the Blitz; and the National History Museum. All the historical facts are illustrated in red, black, and gray impressionist-styled drawings. Plus, quotations from the periods add to this historical book.

A fun addition to any library with easy to digress facts on London history.