Nov 24, 2013zipread rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
LondonI London --- by Edward Rutherford. A big book ;a long, splendid novel that encompasses, literally, two thousand years in time and tells the tales of families who have always lived in this town --- from the days of the Roman Empire through the present. These are tales of joy and happiness. These are tales of great loss and suffering. These are tales that offer an insight into the lives of grinding poverty of the lowest classes of the Victorian age. These are tales that take you into the parlours of those with unbelievable wealth and influence. While he limes the histories of these families Rutherford also tells the tale of London (and by extension the story of Britain). Those with at least a nodding acquaintance with the city will find themselves transported back to earlier days when the city looked much different; when current architectural landmarks were a-building or not even yet dreamed of. The book and its language are almost poetic in their style reminiscent at times of more genteel works. Many of London’s pivotal citizens are here from Julius Caesar to Elizabeth I; from King Richard the Lion Heart to the air raid wardens of WW II.
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London