SYNOPSIS:
Over 200 stunning archive photographs, most of which have never been published before, illustrate this mesmerising guide to Victorian London seen through the eyes of Charles Dickens. Setting Dickens against the city that was the backdrop and inspiration for his work, it takes the reader on a memorable and haunting journey, discovering the places and subjects which stimulated his imagination. Here are captivating photographs of famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and Westminster Abbey, alongside coaching inns, the Thames before the Embankment was built, the construction of the Metropolitan Underground Line, the docklands that studded the river and the many villages that make up London today. Authoritatively written and beautifully illustrated, this book will appeal to anyone who loves this beguiling city and wants to explore it as it was in Dickens' day.
REVIEW:
Whilst preparing to start my own Steampunk title, I wanted to get a fuller flavour of the Victorian age, so that I could borrow scenes as well as have a whole host of supporting cast members that would not only stand out but bring the full flavour to the reader. What this book of photographs set around Dickens’s London does, is give you that with bags of information to spare. Its lovingly written, authorative and when added to the myriad of photo’s within generates what feels like a voyeurs view to a bygone time.
For me, Alex’s title is one that was not only thoroughly enjoyable but one that with the buildings and various trades represented will allow me to bring the whole thing to live and when added with the sheer variety within, will allow many people to find ways to interest their young reader in history. A great piece all in and definitely one I’ll be reading a few more times.
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