Voices from Dickens' London

London holds a fascination in peoples' minds matched by few other cities. Michael Paterson's book is a wonderful introduction to 19th Century London, a subject few books have dealt with. And who better to describe 'the great old city' than London's most famous chronicler, novelist Charles Dickens? Interweaving sections from various Dickens' novels with accounts from Londoners who lived in that period or visitors to the city, Paterson has opened a window into a time, a city and a people that fascinates, informs and sometimes appalls. The London of the mid-19th Century was the largest city on earth as well as the dirtiest and most disease- and crime-ridden place in the world. In a series of chapters covering 'The Place,' 'The People,' 'Shops and Shopping,' 'Transport and Travel,' 'Crime and Punishment,' etc., Paterson weaves the various accounts into a combination history and travelogue that is as educational as it is appalling. The growth of the great city came at a terrible cost to many of its residents as borne out in accounts by Henry Mayhew, George Salas and others. To say it was a brutal existence for most Londoners is an understatement. While the book is illustrated with various photographs and woodcuts, it is the spoken word that has the greatest impact. To be frank, the book needs to be savored a chapter at a time lest the detailed descriptions overwhelm the reader. Make no mistake about it - this book is a great read. It captures the sights, sounds and smells of a long-ago city as few books have.