Product Description

London has perhaps the most remarkable history of any city in the world. Now, its story has a unique voice. In this epic novel, Edward Rutherfurd takes the reader on a magnificent journey across sixteen centuries from the days of the Romans to the Victorian engineers of Tower Bridge and the era of Dockland development today. Through the lives and adventures of his colourful cast of characters, he brings all the richness of London's past unforgettably to life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7386 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 784 pages

Review
The story of England's greatest city from the first Roman settlement to the 1990s Docklands development, seen through the eyes of 'real' people. Published in 1997, this is a gripping historical novel from the author of Sarum. (Kirkus UK)

Rutherfurd, having celebrated at some length the growth of an English cathedral town (Sarum, 1987) and the turbulent history of Russia (Russka, 1991), offers a massive survey in fictional form of London's long history. Like the work of his likely inspiration, James Michener, Rutherfurd's novels are distinguished by admirable research and a propulsive plot. This latest follows the growth of London from its origins as a Celtic encampment through its emergence as the Roman capital in Britain and on to its long climb to preeminence as England's (and, for a time, the world's) greatest city. Interwoven with the private (and rather melodramatic) adventures of a half-dozen families over a 2,000-year span are most of the events that shaped England (from the Norman invasion up to the Battle of Britain). These incidents tend to be announced portentously ("England's great Peasant Revolt had begun") and the characters, to fill in the historical background, sometimes offer speeches packed with an alarming (and unlikely) amount of information. There are obligatory cameos by everyone from Shakespeare to Dickens. Still, this is a vigorous, colorful narrative, a pleasant if unsurprising entertainment. (Kirkus Reviews)

From the Publisher
A wonderful, epic story that tells the history of the greatest city in the world, from Roman times to the present day.

About the Author
Edward Rutherfurd was born in Salisbury, England, and educated at Cambridge University and Stanford University in California. His first bestselling novel, Sarum, is based on the history of Salisbury and Stonehenge. Russka, his second novel, recounted the sweeping history of Russia. London tells the two-thousand-year story of the great city, bringing all of the richness of London's past unforgettably to life. His last novel, The Forest, was set in the New Forest. A former resident of London and New York City, Edward Rutherfurd has had a home in Dublin for more than ten years. He has two children.