London: A Social History

The easy prose style of this book has the ability to immediately pull the reader in and maintain a very high level of engagement all through the text. The information is a curious mix of the general and the detailed, and as such it might or might not be useful to answer a specific question about the historiography of London or its inhabitants, but that does not detract from what is just an immensely well constructed text. If you are curious about the heart of Great Britain, you'll want to read this book.

More illustrations and above all more plentiful and better maps would have made Porter's superlative history of London an unqualified masterpiece. As such, it is still a bloody good book. The late Roy Porter was not only a brilliant historian, above all of the 18th century for which his enthusiasm is nearly overwhelming, but a writer of verve and wit far removed from much desiccated academism. It would be a fitting tribute for Harvard to bring out an expanded edition awash with bells and whistles. Let's hope.

Roy Porter, noted and trained as a medical historian, turned his attention to the social development of London, and we are the richer for it. Porter is a Londoner, and has a passion for the city. He is, however, frank in his conviction that London has had it's hour upon the stage: 'London is not the eternal city.... Between the two Elizabeths, between 1570 and 1986 to be more precise, it was to become the world's greatest city.' Porter sees the abolition of the Greater London Council (GLC) by Margaret Thatcher as a benchmark to the demise of London as a great city (I happen to disagree; will he change his opinion in light of the upcoming mayoral elections in London?) Porter's current pessimism about London is very apparent from page 1 of the introduction; however, this does not keep him from doing a sterling job with his subject throughout the text. Porter gives brief description to Londinium (mentioning among other things that it was abandoned 'to the dogs' by the Romans in the fifth century), however, begins his history in earnest about the year 1500 because while 'the Romano-British city and its medieval successor have left extensive archaeological remains and chronicles, ...we have no full visual record from before the Tudor age.' Porter examines eras in terms of the history of culture, of commerce and industry, and of population and social changes. The nineteenth century (in which there was practically no urban planning, as any current map will inform you) is described as 'Bumbledom', particularly in the field of London politics. Porter describes the expansion of London as a 'fungus-like growth' in the late 19th/early 20th centuries; he concludes his analysis with chapters on 'Swinging London' and 'Thatcher's London'. Porter leaves us with a question: 'London was always a muddle that worked. Will it remain that way?' In all, a wonderful read, a wonderful story, and a wonderful topic.

Roy Porter, noted and trained as a medical historian, turned his attention to the social development of London, and we are the richer for it. Porter is a Londoner, and has a passion for the city. He is, however, frank in his conviction that London has had it's hour upon the stage:'London is not the eternal city.... Between the two Elizabeths, between 1570 and 1986 to be more precise, it was to become the world's greatest city.'Porter sees the abolition of the Greater London Council (GLC) by Margaret Thatcher as a benchmark to the demise of London as a great city (I happen to disagree; will he change his opinion in light of the upcoming mayoral elections in London?) Porter's current pessimism about London is very apparent from page 1 of the introduction; however, this does not keep him from doing a sterling job with his subject throughout the text.Porter gives brief description to Londinium (mentioning among other things that it was abandoned 'to the dogs' by the Romans in the fifth century), however, begins his history in earnest about the year 1500 because while 'the Romano-British city and its medieval successor have left extensive archaeological remains and chronicles, ...we have no full visual record from before the Tudor age.'Porter examines eras in terms of the history of culture, of commerce and industry, and of population and social changes. The nineteenth century (in which there was practically no urban planning, as any current map will inform you) is described as 'Bumbledom', particularly in the field of London politics. Porter describes the expansion of London as a 'fungus-like growth' in the late 19th/early 20th centuries; he concludes his analysis with chapters on 'Swinging London' and 'Thatcher's London'. Porter leaves us with a question: 'London was always a muddle that worked. Will it remain that way?' In all, a wonderful read, a wonderful story, and a wonderful topic.

Roy Porter's book covers the full breadth of London history, from Roman times to approximately 1990, with the Victoria era and the post-WWII era receiving particularly heavy emphasis. A more accurate title for the book would be 'London: A History,' because the social history component is a bit thin. Porter devotes more attention to the evolving political situation and to physical characteristics (streets, fortifications, famous buildings) than he does to social history. This is a wonderful introduction to London, and would be ideal for the visitor seeking a deeper appreciation of (what I regard as) the world's most fascinating city. One quibble: Porter should have been more self-restrained about his visceral hatred of Margaret Thatcher. Porter's rants about her are so over-the-top that he even blames her for the excesses of left-wing political correctness.