Greater London

London's suburbs may stretch for well over 600 square miles, but in historical accounts of the capital they tend to take something of a back seat. In Greater London, historian Nick Barratt places them firmly centre stage, tracing their journey from hamlets and villages far out in the open countryside to fully fledged urban enclaves, simultaneously demonstrating the crucial role they have played in the creation of today's metropolis. Starting in the first century AD, he shows how the tiny settlements that grew up in the Thames Valley gradually developed, and how they were shaped by their proximity to the city. He describes the spread of the first suburbs beyond the city walls, and traces the ebb and flow of population as people moved in to find jobs or away to escape London's noise and bustle. He charts the transformation wrought by the coming of the railways, the fight to preserve Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest and other green spaces and the struggle to create a London-wide form of government. He gives an account of wartime destruction and peacetime reconstruction, and then brings the story to the present with a description of the very varied nature of today's suburbs and their inhabitants. In the process, he evokes Tudor Hackney and Georgian Hampton, explains why Victorian Battersea and Finchley were so different from one another, and follows Islington's fall from grace and subsequent recovery. Magnificently illustrated throughout with contemporary engravings and photographs, this is the essential history for anyone who has ever lived in London.

This Act consists of 11 parts and two schedules, and includes provisions relating to: payments on ceasing to hold office as Mayor or Assembly member; consultations held on mayoral strategies; confirmation hearings regarding certain appointments by the Mayor; the publication of an annual report by the General London Assembly; the annual budget of the GLA; a new post of Health Adviser to advise the GLA on major health issues; the requirement for the Mayor to publish a health inequalities strategy, a London housing strategy, a municipal waste management strategy and a London climate change mitigation and energy strategy; and measures regarding local development schemes and planning and development control matters. Explanatory notes have been produced to assist in the understanding of this Act and are available separately (ISBN 9780105624073)

Which of Greater London’s most gruesome murders happened in your street? And were they committed by Graham Frederick Young (the poisoner of the North Circular Road), by the murderous Donald Hume, or by that monster Dennis Nilsen? Sometimes quiet suburban terraces hide the most terrible secrets... Read about the ‘Hampstead Triangle’ – home to a surprising number of celebrated murders – as well as another triangle of violent deaths in Kensal Rise and ponder some very mysterious unsolved murders. Armed with this book and a good London map, you will be able to do some murder house detection work of your own.

The First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. Great War Britain: London offers an in-depth portrait of the capital and its people during the 'war to end all wars'. It describes the reaction to the war's outbreak; charts the experience of individuals who enlisted; shares many first-hand experiences, including tales of the Zeppelin raids and anti-German riots of the era; examines the work of local hospitals; and explores how the capital and its people coped with the transition to life in peacetime. Vividly illustrated with evocative images from the newspapers of the day, it commemorates the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of London's residents between 1914 and 1918.

Great Houses of London tells the stories of some of the grandest and most fascinating houses in this historic city, from their famous owners and occupants to their renovations and the many riches held within each.

A vibrant celebration of humanity and everyday life in this incredibly multicultural and multi-faceted capital city.

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON A book that entertains, informs and suggests startling parallels to todays world. _____________________________________________________________________________ Join such historical figures as King Charles II whose far-seeing plan rebuilt a city; Samuel Pepys whose diary told the tale; and Christopher Wren whose architectural genius brought London back to life. _____________________________________________________________________________ "Succeeds in evoking all the sights, sounds and famous personages of that era in capable, interesting easy-to-read style. ---Library Journal The narrative brings the old tale to life, especially it reveals the epic mess, the tangle of antique property law which had to be cut, set aside, or unraveled, and the sudden bankruptcies, privations, courage and tenacious good will on which the new London was slowly---so slowly!---to rise again[It is] at times a racy account of that fortunate calamity. ---Christian Science Monitor . . . a straightforward account of the Great Fire of 1666 . . . fireproof correct, and the illustrations have vitality and veracity. ---The Kirkus Service

'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 In the sweltering summer of 1858, sewage generated by over two million Londoners was pouring into the Thames, producing a stink so offensive that it drove Members of Parliament from the chamber of the House of Commons. The Times called the crisis 'The Great Stink'. Parliament had to act – drastic measures were required to clean the Thames and to improve London's primitive system of sanitation. The great engineer entrusted with this enormous task was Sir Joseph Bazalgette, who rose to the challenge and built the system of intercepting sewers, pumping stations and treatment works that serves London to this day. In the process, he cleansed the Thames and helped banish cholera. The Great Stink of London offers a vivid insight into Bazalgette's achievements and the era in which he worked and lived, including his heroic battles with politicians and bureaucrats that would transform the face and health of the world's then largest city.