Strange laws, heroic deeds, surprising revelations, and quirky stories that have shaped the unique history of Britain’s capital.London’s long history is extraordinarily rich—and whether your interest is political, social, architectural, or historical, you’ll find a variety of topics in this alternative guide to London.Learn about:· Roman ruins· Notorious crimes· Hidden tube stations· The famous London smog· Cockney rhyming...

There have been more prisons in London than in any other European city. Of these, Newgate was the largest, most notorious and worst. Built during the twelfth century, it became a legendary place - the inspiration of more poems, plays and novels than any other building in London. It was a place of cruelty and wretchedness, at various times holding Dick Turpin, Titus Oates, Daniel Defoe, Jack Sheppard and Casanova. Because prisons were privately run, any time spent ...

How the Victorians struggled to overcome diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and scarlet fever in their citiesThis is the fascinating story of how a small group of dedicated individuals fought opposition from politicians, taxpayers, and often their own colleagues to overcome disease in overwhelming numbers, and make the country a safer place for everyone to live. Victorian Britain was the world's industrial powerhouse, supplying a global demand for manufactu...

London is a City of Markets: markets in meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, money, insurance, shipping and, occasionally, in stolen goods. Stephen Halliday's book is a comprehensive account of the often lurid and controversial history of its markets from Roman Londinium to the London of Boris Johnson as well as a guide to visiting them (and emerging with a bargain).

Victorian Britain was the world's industrial powerhouse. Its factories, mills and foundries supplied a global demand for manufactured goods. As Britain changed from an agricultural to an industrial ecomony, people swarmed into the towns and cities where the work was; by the end of Queen Victoria's reign, almost 80 per cent of the population was urban. Overcrowding and filthy living conditions, though, were a recipe for disaster, and diseases such as cholera, typhoid, scarl...

Why did London have to wait so long for a main-line railway beneath its streets? For a few years in the mid-nineteenth century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel's broad-gauge Great Western trains ran from Reading to Faringdon. Now, after many false starts, his vision is being realised as the Elizabeth Line prepares to carry passengers from Reading to the City once again, and beyond to Essex and Kent, using engineering that would have earned the admiration of the greatest Victorian ...

“Halliday is a pass master at assembling golden nuggets of fact . . . amusingly written . . . a fun way to brush up on your Olympic history” (Londonist).Who reprimanded Hitler during the 1936 Olympic Games?When did the Olympic event “shin-kicking” get banned?Which Shakespearean play refers to the Olympic Games?Who was the first official cheat in 388 BC?Find the answers to these...

London's Underground is one of the best-known and most distinctive aspects of the city. Since Victorian times, this remarkable feat of engineering has made an extraordinary contribution to the economy of the capital and played a vital role in the daily life of generations of Londoners. Stephen Halliday's informative, entertaining, wide-ranging history of the Underground celebrates the vision and determination of the Victorian Pioneers who conceived this revolutionary transport sys...

This book is a repository of intriguing, fascinating, obscure, strange, and entertaining facts and trivia about the history of the British criminal justice system. Armed with this fascinating tome, the reader will have such knowledge of the days when noses, hands, and heads were cut off, heretics burned at the stake, and rebels were hung, drawn, and quartered. They will be entertained and enthralled, and never short of some frivolous fact to enhance conversation or quiz! A reference book a...

'An extraordinary history' - Peter Ackroyd, The Times'A lively account of (Bazalgette's) magnificent achievements. . . graphically illustrated' - Hermione Hobhouse'Halliday is good on sanitary engineering and even better on cloaca, crud and putrefaction . . . (he) writes with the relish of one who savours his subject and has deeply researched it. . . splendidly illustrated' - Ruth Rendell...

There have been more prisons in London than in any other European city. Of these, Newgate was the largest, most notorious and worst. Built during the twelfth century, it became a legendary place - the inspiration of more poems, plays and novels than any other building in London. It was a place of cruelty and wretchedness, at various times holding Dick Turpin, Titus Oates, Daniel Defoe, Jack Sheppard and Casanova. Because prisons were privately run, any time spent ...

The Little Book of Crime and Punishment is a repository of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts and trivia about the history of the British criminal justice system. Learn of the days when noses, hands and heads were cut off, heretics were burned at the stake and rebels were hanged, drawn and quartered. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the various forms of punishments; fr...