Product Description

'The Thames is liquid history' John Burns MP (1858-1943) As the silver thread woven through Britain's centuries, the Thames is the subject of this significant biography. Following its course, geologically and chronologically, THE THAMES will chart the growing importance of the river and some of the dramatic historic events it was central to. Since Tudor times, the Thames has been a key factor in our understanding of the British nation. At Runnymede, in a field by the river, England's barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. At Tilbury, on the banks of the Thames, in 1588, Elizabeth exhorted her troops to defy the Spanish Armada. In dockland, in east London, in 1940, local residents absorbed the full fury of Hitler's dreaded Luftwaffe. Hitler tried, and failed, to destroy the Port of London, symbol of British commercial power, reservoir of the material needed to fuel and fund the British war effort. This is a book about a river, but also about the evolution, though not always smooth, of a national identity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #143054 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'This resplendent book combines a dramatist's empathy with people and a scholar's devotion to facts . . . A magnificent, multi-layered achievement, a 'must-read' for all lovers of London' Liza Picard, author of DR JOHNSON'S LONDON, RESTORATION LONDON and ELIZABETH'S LONDON 'Here is a rich and satisfying riverbank picnic of a book. The narrative sparkles and gurgles like the river itself' Robert Lacey, author of GREAT TALES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY *'Beautifully written, wide-ranging and rich in anecdote, Schneer's history of the nation's most famous river flows effortlessly, merging its waters with the ebb and flow of English history' John Brewer 'Elegantly recounted, with an eye for vivid detail that sticks in the mind' SUNDAY TIMES 'Schneer's tone throughout is engaging and his narrative fast-paced . . . There is much here to please anyone London enthusiast or not. Schneer has done a heroic job in compressing such a large and compelling story into such a tight volume' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'The clever way Schneer links the Thames to the development of the English nation, with a narrative style that twists and turns like the great river itself, sets it apart' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'Sinewy, compelling and great fun' Stephen Smith, OBSERVER 'Excellent' SUNDAY HERALD 'A pleasure to read . . . Scneer is a high stylist' Kathryn Hughes, GUARDIAN 'He paints a large canvas with considerable skill.' CONTEMPORARY REVIEW 'Written by an author with a great fondness for London, this is an easy to read account of the history that flows through one of Britain's most important rivers.' GLASGOW HERALD 'A lifetime of passionate and recondite involvement with his subject has gone into Schneer's present book.' LITERARY REVIEW 'Though hugely enjoyable and peopled with rich characters this is a suitable dark, brooding book.' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE 'With the right amount of murkiness and swirling stories to reflect its subject matter, this serves up a fascinating history of the river.' SUNDAY EXPRESS

John Brewer
'Beautifully written, wide-ranging and rich in anecdote, Schneer’s history of the nation’s most famous river flows effortlessly'

Robert Lacey, author of GREAT TALES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY
‘Here is a rich and satisfying riverbank picnic of a book. The narrative sparkles and gurgles like the river itself’

Customer Reviews

Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song
Jonathan Schneer writes in his introduction that there are lots of books on the Thames, but most are either highly specialised (tomes on flood control, environmental concerns, economic impact, etc.) or rather out of date. Schneer's intention with this book was to provide a more general, and more generally accessible, book on what is perhaps one of the most important rivers in history, with an impact that far outweighs it relative length. Schneer points out that most other major rivers (the Mississippi, the Danube, the Yang-tze, the Ganges, etc.) have major impact, but not the kind of dominating presence on their surrounding cultures that the Thames has had on its (perhaps the best comparison would be with the Nile, perhaps the only other river that was central to defining the culture of the lands around it).

Schneer begins with the prehistoric and early historic settlements and influence of the Thames, and how it has been seen by Celts and early peoples, Romans, Angles and Saxons, Danes and Jutes, Normans and Middle Englishmen, Renaissance and Reformation people, all the way up to modern times when German bombers used the outline of the river to find London, and modern governments have seen the Thames as the gateway to Europe. Chapters go in a logical, chronological progression, and describe in socio-economic and historical narratives how the culture around the river ebbed and flowed, just as the river would rise and fall. Some seems a bit further afield than discussion of the river might require, but then, this is more of a labour of love for the English culture, of which the river Thames is certainly apart, but in fact the book is geared more toward the understanding of the history and culture itself.

The Thames features in art, music and literature - the book contains a generous collection of print reproductions, both black-and-white as well as colour plates of artists such as Turner, Canaletto, Spencer, and more. Handel's Water Music is one of the better-known pieces from the time, inspired by the river, and literature past and present draws from its inspirational depths (Edmund Spenser's 'Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song' was used by Ewan McCall as title for his song, 'Sweet Thames, flow softly'; also, author Matthew Kneale uses it for one of his works of fiction).

'More generally the Thames's accumulation of meanings over the centuries, its interconnectedness with so much history, has linked it with evolving understandings of the nation and its heritage. Britons identify themselves as heirs to a record through which the river has always run.'

This is an interesting, accessible, and well-written general book detailing various strands of English culture with a connection of the river Thames. The writing flows well with a cup of tea.

Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song
Jonathan Schneer writes in his introduction that there are lots of books on the Thames, but most are either highly specialised (tomes on flood control, environmental concerns, economic impact, etc.) or rather out of date. Schneer's intention with this book was to provide a more general, and more generally accessible, book on what is perhaps one of the most important rivers in history, with an impact that far outweighs it relative length. Schneer points out that most other major rivers (the Mississippi, the Danube, the Yang-tze, the Ganges, etc.) have major impact, but not the kind of dominating presence on their surrounding cultures that the Thames has had on its (perhaps the best comparison would be with the Nile, perhaps the only other river that was central to defining the culture of the lands around it).

Schneer begins with the prehistoric and early historic settlements and influence of the Thames, and how it has been seen by Celts and early peoples, Romans, Angles and Saxons, Danes and Jutes, Normans and Middle Englishmen, Renaissance and Reformation people, all the way up to modern times when German bombers used the outline of the river to find London, and modern governments have seen the Thames as the gateway to Europe. Chapters go in a logical, chronological progression, and describe in socio-economic and historical narratives how the culture around the river ebbed and flowed, just as the river would rise and fall. Some seems a bit further afield than discussion of the river might require, but then, this is more of a labour of love for the English culture, of which the river Thames is certainly apart, but in fact the book is geared more toward the understanding of the history and culture itself.

The Thames features in art, music and literature - the book contains a generous collection of print reproductions, both black-and-white as well as colour plates of artists such as Turner, Canaletto, Spencer, and more. Handel's Water Music is one of the better-known pieces from the time, inspired by the river, and literature past and present draws from its inspirational depths (Edmund Spenser's 'Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song' was used by Ewan McCall as title for his song, 'Sweet Thames, flow softly'; also, author Matthew Kneale uses it for one of his works of fiction).

'More generally the Thames's accumulation of meanings over the centuries, its interconnectedness with so much history, has linked it with evolving understandings of the nation and its heritage. Britons identify themselves as heirs to a record through which the river has always run.'

This is an interesting, accessible, and well-written general book detailing various strands of English culture with a connection of the river Thames. The writing flows well with a cup of tea.

Such a Pleasurable Read

There are a myriad of books on the river Thames and so there should be. It is arguably England's primary river not least because the capital city of the country sits astride the river, relatively close to the mouth of the estuary, thus making London a thriving port and a catchments area for ships from all over the world. Most of the books available are on a particular subject regarding the river. Maybe pubs adjacent to the river; artistic scenes of the river; flood barriers etc. This book is more general volume that goes into detail about the river itself, its effect on the land and the people surrounding it.

The author begins with prehistoric and early settlements, the influence the people had on the river and vice versa. People from all periods of English history have used the river the benefit their lives, from the Romans, Saxons, Vikings and the Normans, some of the latter using the river to their own advantage, i.e. being able to get to the capital of the country directly from the sea. Even in more modern times German bombers used the outline of the Thames to guide them to London for their bombing raids.

The author goes so far as to suggest that of all the major rivers in the world, the Thames can most easily be compared to the Nile as having the most influence on the people and culture that surrounds it. The river has affected virtually every aspect of the lives and culture of the people close to it. The book was an absolute joy to read, even for someone who lives more than 200 miles from the Thames.