Abstracts Of Black Cab Lore

For four hundred years, London taxi drivers have been serving the capital in one form or another. From hackney coaches to Hansom cabs; from taxicabs to black cabs, the vehicles may have evolved but the driver has remained basically the same. But who were the men who drove those cabs? London's taxi drivers are continually voted the best in the world, each one of them having gone through the hardest test, "The Knowledge", but very little is known about those who got us where we are today. This book seeks to remedy that situation. Now, the history of the trade from the driver's perspective is told for the first time. Hundreds of stories, compiled from a variety of sources, give a more intimate point of view than has ever been seen before.Enjoy, but most of all...Be Lucky!

In 2009, London cabbie Mark Solomon began asking passengers in the back of his taxi for a random quote or proverb. The project developed into a popular website (www.blackcabquotes.com), and this pocket-sized book offers the best thoughts for the day, ranging from the truly philosophical to the downright bizarre.

In his new book, well-known London cabbie Alf Townsend tells us the complete story of the black cab, from its origins in the seventeenth century to the brand new taxis which now grace the capital's streets. The history and development of the black cab is explored here in Alf's straightforward writing style, alongside ninety colour and black and white images. This is a light-hearted romp through the world of 'the knowledge', the vehicles, the streets of London and the cabbies themselves, and is full of juicy snippets and fascinating quotes which will be of great interest to anyone who loves this London icon.