"A Short History of London" by Simon Jenkins

It is very difficult to write a good 'short history' about a huge subject about which many hundreds of other books have been written, but this manages to pack a huge amount in to 350 pages. I learned a lot, re-learned a lot more in a refreshing way and enjoyed the experience too.

Simon Jenkins has lived in London all his life and as a national newspaper journalist and a former editor of The Times, has been directly involved with many of the more recent developments he discusses. So no attempt is made at presenting things in a neutral or objective way here. There is a lot of personal reflection and opinion included alongside a more conventional historical narrative.

Inevitably, given the need to cover so much ground in so few pages, there is a tendency to gloss over some major events and social developments. But readers whose interest is parked, can always turn to other sources to read more about these - as I already am doing. I also have to say that I found some of the material on London's local government structures a touch tedious to read about at times. But where this book excels is in its discussion of London's built environment. There is a welcome preoccupation throughout with topographical and architectural matters. I found this all fascinating and while I am already familiar with the histories of certain buildings, streets and bridges, being provided with this wonderful overview, linking everything together was very useful.

Simon Jenkins is brilliant at lamenting the way that a vile little cabal of twentieth century 'progressive' architects and city planners (aided of course in large measure by the Luftwaffe) conspired to destroy so much of eighteenth century and Regency London. A terrible, inexcusable crime when seen in retrospect. But he also celebrates what survives and sets out in glorious detail some of the more truly appalling plans that were advanced and never came to fruition. I don't wholly agree with him about the aesthetic merits of all that which has been built over the old city. I quite like some of the more recent skyscrapers in all honesty - even Centrepoint Tower - but his central point about the way that woeful manner in which London, unlike so many great European cities, has wilfully failed to preserve so much of its great architecture is very compellingly made.

An outstanding little work of popular history.