Product Description

Madness frontman Suggs takes us on a journey through the main drags and side streets of his beloved London town, uncovering the city's hidden treasures as he goes.

Armed with a spirit of adventure, a passion for London and a trusted A–Z, Suggs embarks on an unpredictable journey through the bustling main drags and little-known side streets to explore the eccentric story of his extraordinary home town. Having lived in London as man and boy, this is Suggs’s personal take on an ever-changing London, a city whose traditions and foibles are under threat from the march of time. From the suited and booted tailors of Savile Row to the sex traders of bohemian Soho, by way of quaint and quirky habitats, brilliant but beleaguered boozers, the exotic eateries that have made London a gastronomic heartland and a music scene that's both the envy of the world and dear to Suggs’s own heart, SUGGS AND THE CITY is a journey under the skin of a living, breathing city. It’s a guided tour of the quirks of its chaotic centre and the surprises of its sleepy suburbs. And it’s a love letter from one of its favourite sons.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3078 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

About the Author

Suggs is the frontman for Madness, a band that epitomises the sound and soul of London. He is a singer, actor, DJ, television presenter and chatshow host. In 2006 he won the Presenter of the Year award for the Disappearing London television series. And in 2009 Suggs and Madness will be celebrating their thirtieth anniversary.

Customer Reviews

BOOK ,ONCE YOU OPEN IT ,YOU CANNOT CLOSE IT
This is a very informative book ,here,Suggs tells you all about London.The city where he grew up from a tender age.Suggs tells the memories he has of playing at various venues from the banks of the Thames to the huge American Stadiums.The book also explains all about the history of London ,from the early days to the present day ,all told from the eyes of Suggs .This book is a must for any Madness fan.Once you pick up this book you cannot put it down,until you have read the last page.

A love letter to London from one of its favourite sons.
This book is great. Its not just for Madness fans (though I am happy to put my hand up on that front), it is for anybody who likes to take a step back and just watch a city breathe. It helps to have lived in London to appreciate some of the finer points in this book, but it is by no means essential. It is easy to wallow in nostalgia and rail against the unceasing march of progress, but this book doesn't do that. Rather than call for the preservation of an olde worlde London. it instead just asks us to acknowledge its existence.

So, from touching stories about Rag-and-bone men to interesting facts about up and coming bands and the venues they played, there is something in this for everybody. It is an affectionate look at what many would find mundane if they only scratched the surface. London itself is like this though. Wander down any of its many blander main streets, take a quick left and a second right, and you will usually be standing somewhere far more interesting, if you only care to wait and observe.

Love London?
If you were born and/or lived in London read thia book. It may bring back happy memories of loved ones, places, buildings, tastes and events. It did me. The book will have a section(s) no matter what your interests are. Not a Londoner? then learn some of its more modern history and the frightening changes that are happening now.
A well written and entertaining read. Some more please Suggs.