It is not a formal or elegant city. It has had a sort of natural organic growth which has taken a thousand different forms.” Early Anglo-Saxon London belonged to a people known as the Middle Saxons, from whom the name of the county of Middlesex is derived, but who probably also occupied the approximate area of modern Hertfordshire and Surrey. However, by the early 7th century the London area had been incorporated into the kingdom of the East Saxons. In 604 King Saeberht of Essex converted to Christianity and London received Mellitus, its first post-Roman bishop. During World War I, London experienced its first bombing raids carried out by German zeppelin airships; these killed around 700 people and caused great terror, but were merely a foretaste of what was to come. The city of London would experience many more terrors as a result of both World Wars. The largest explosion in London occurred during World War I: the Silvertown explosion, when a munitions factory containing 50 tons of TNT exploded, killing 73 and injuring 400. In 2000, London-wide government was restored, with the creation of the Greater London Authority (GLA) by Tony Blair's government, covering the same area of Greater London. The new authority had similar powers to the old GLC, but was made up of a directly elected Mayor and a London Assembly. The first election took place on 4 May, with Ken Livingstone comfortably regaining his previous post, becoming first elected mayor of London. [48] London was recognised as one of the nine regions of England. In global perspective, it was emerging as a World city widely compared to New York and Tokyo. [49] 21st century [ edit ] The Shard (left), an icon of 21st-century London

London Walking Tour Books You Need On Your Shelf 10 London Walking Tour Books You Need On Your Shelf

On 6 May 2023, the coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, took place at Westminster Abbey, London. [66] The London Plan, published by the Mayor of London in 2004, estimated that the population would reach 8.1million by 2016, and continue to rise thereafter. This was reflected in a move towards denser, more urban styles of building, including a greatly increased number of tall buildings, and proposals for major enhancements to the public transport network. However, funding for projects such as Crossrail remained a struggle. [53] Many tradesmen from different countries came to London to trade goods and merchandise. Also, more immigrants moved to London making the population greater. More people also moved to London for work and for business making London an altogether bigger and busier city. Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War increased the country's international standing and opened large new markets to British trade, further boosting London's prosperity.

The Horrible Histories series are superb at bringing history to life and in this guide to London they share the most gory stories about the capital. Learn what caused the Great Stink of 1858, who were the flying dustmen (and why were they feared) and all about London’s largest toilet! This is my go-to when I’m gifting a London guide book to someone I know who loves London just about as much as I do. It’s one of those dip-in, dip-out books too, and one where you’ll discover some of the most interesting, quirky and “I can’t believe” facts about London. Curiocity travels in and out of London’s past and present, a perfect bookish marriage between contemporary and historical London. You’ll find trivia about the erotic, rules of conduct, subterranean London and the occult. It’s the cat’s pyjamas when it comes to guide books about London. It is a vast, complex and confusing city which has existed now for 2,000 years. It was described by William Blake as “a Human awful wonder of God,” which suggests the sacred or sacramental aspect of the city. But, of course, it is also a place of power and a place of money. London has been built upon the imperatives of money and power. That is its real raison d’être. It is not a formal or elegant city. It has not been built to accord with the wishes of its citizens. It has had a sort of natural organic growth which has taken a thousand different forms. From the 1950s onwards London experienced an increase in immigration, largely from Commonwealth countries such as Jamaica, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, the integration of the new immigrants was not always easy. Racial tensions emerged in events such as the Brixton Riots in the early 1980s. [47]

The Great Fire of London: An Illustrated History of the Great The Great Fire of London: An Illustrated History of the Great

Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource referenceIn the winter of 1683–1684, a frost fair was held on the Thames. The frost, which began about seven weeks before Christmas and continued for six weeks after, was the greatest on record. The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 led to a large migration on Huguenots to London. They established a silk industry at Spitalfields. [31] The 18th century was a period of rapid growth for London, reflecting an increasing national population, the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution, and London's role at the centre of the evolving British Empire. The adventures of Maisy the Mouse and her buddies are always great fun and their trip to London is no exception. This is a good book for toddlers; the simple text, bright colours, and fun stories are guaranteed to entertain. Plus, this book is a brilliant introduction to the capital for younger kids. Up until 1750, London Bridge was the only crossing over the Thames, but in that year Westminster Bridge was opened and, for the first time in history, London Bridge, in a sense, had a rival. In 1798, Frankfurt banker Nathan Mayer Rothschild arrived in London and set up a banking house in the city, with a large sum of money given to him by his father, Amschel Mayer Rothschild. The Rothschilds also had banks in Paris and Vienna. The bank financed numerous large-scale projects, especially regarding railways around the world and the Suez Canal. [34]

History Books - Waterstones History Books - Waterstones

Some recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area. In 1993, the remains of a Bronze Age bridge were found on the Thames's south foreshore, upstream of Vauxhall Bridge. [1] This bridge either crossed the Thames or went to a now lost island in the river. Dendrology dated the timbers to between 1750 BC and 1285 BC. [2] In 2001, a further dig found that the timbers were driven vertically into the ground on the south bank of the Thames west of Vauxhall Bridge. [3] This version of the classic nursery rhyme is the best way to introduce young children to the sights of London. Pussy cat visits all of the city’s most famous landmarks including The Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Nelson’s Column. He also enjoys the view from the top of the Shard and the London Eye. Lynn Hollen Lees, Exiles of Erin: Irish Migrants in Victorian London (Manchester University Press, 1979) Jones, Robert Wynn. The Flower of All Cities: The History of London from Earliest Times to the Great Fire (Amberley Publishing, 2019).

Richard Blome's map of London (1673). The development of the West End had recently begun to accelerate. Matt Cook, "'Gay Times': Identity, Locality, Memory, and the Brixton Squats in 1970's London". Twentieth Century British History (2013) 24#1 pp: 84–109. Self, A. (2014). The Birds of London. Bloomsbury USA. p.8. ISBN 9781408194041 . Retrieved 13 June 2015. Boris Johnson, later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party, served as mayor of London from 1 May 2008 until 5 May 2016, being elected in 2008 and reelected in 2012. [60] Your next choice, E O Gordon’s Prehistoric London: Its Mounds and Circles, sheds new light on the city in that time.

A Short History of London by Simon Jenkins | Waterstones

Greater London's population declined steadily in the decades after World War II, from an estimated peak of 8.6million in 1939 to around 6.8million in the 1980s. However, it then began to increase again in the late 1980s, encouraged by strong economic performance and an increasingly positive image.At this time the Bank of England was founded, and the British East India Company was expanding its influence. Lloyd's of London also began to operate in the late 17th century. In 1700, London handled 80% of England's imports, 69% of its exports and 86% of its re-exports. Many of the goods were luxuries from the Americas and Asia such as silk, sugar, tea and tobacco. The last figure emphasises London's role as an entrepot: while it had many craftsmen in the 17th century, and would later acquire some large factories, its economic prominence was never based primarily on industry. Instead it was a great trading and redistribution centre. Goods were brought to London by England's increasingly dominant merchant navy, not only to satisfy domestic demand, but also for re-export throughout Europe and beyond. [32] A phenomenon of the era was the coffeehouse, which became a popular place to debate ideas. Growing literacy and the development of the printing press meant that news became widely available. Fleet Street became the centre of the embryonic national press during the century. I love these City Trails books by Lonely Planet. Not only do these travel guides tell you about the main sights and attractions, they share some off-the-beaten-path, lesser known destinations. Filled with fun, quirky and unusual facts, they’re a great way to keep kids engaged while touring the city. After Æthelred's death at London in 1016 his son Edmund Ironside was proclaimed king there by the witangemot and left to gather forces in Wessex. London was then subjected to a systematic siege by Cnut but was relieved by King Edmund's army; when Edmund again left to recruit reinforcements in Wessex the Danes resumed the siege but were again unsuccessful. However, following his defeat at the Battle of Assandun Edmund ceded to Cnut all of England north of the Thames, including London, and his death a few weeks later left Cnut in control of the whole country.