Synopses & Reviews
A city long shrouded in literary and historical mists--not to mention real ones--London seduces tourists and natives alike. From Big Ben to the grimy Victorian streets of Dickens novels on up to the sleek high-rises that dot the skyline of the twenty-first-century metropolis, the urban landscape of London is steeped in history, while forever responsive to the changing dictates of progress, industry, and culture. In
London: A Life in Maps, acclaimed historian Peter Whitfield reveals a wealth of surprising truths and forgotten facts hidden in the cityand#8217;s historic maps.
and#160;Whitfield examines nearly 200 maps spanning the last 500 years, all of which vividly demonstrate the vast changes wrought on Londonand#8217;s streets, open spaces, and buildings. In a rich array of colorful cartographic illustrations, the maps chronicle Londonand#8217;s tumultuous history, from the devastation of the Great Fire to the indelible marks left by World Warsand#160;I andand#160;II to the emergence of the West End as a fashion mecca. Whitfield reads historic sketches and detailed plans as biographical keys to this complex, sprawling urban center, and his in-depth examination unearths fascinating insights into the city of black cabs and red double-deckers. With engaging prose and astute analysisand#160;he alsoand#160;expertly coaxes out the subtle complexitiesand#8212;of social history, urban planning, and designand#8212;within the rich documentation of Londonand#8217;s immense and constantly changing cityscape.
London: A Life in Maps lets readersand#160;wander through the past and present ofand#160;Londonand#8217;s celebrated streetsand#8212;from Abbey Road to Savile Rowand#8212;and along the way reveals the cityand#8217;s captivating history, vibrant culture, and potential future.
Review
"Whitfield, the author of several books on maps, including Cities of the World, has produced a fascinating history of London organized around some 100 of the countless maps, panoramas, and plans created of the city over the last 500 years, going back to the earliest extant map. . . . Whitfield serves up an enjoyable mix of facts, both familiar and obscure, handsomely supported with contemporary illustrations in addition to the maps. . . . Anyone with an interest in the history of London or of maps generally will find much to enjoy. Recommended highly for public and academic libraries."
Review
"[London] provides the reader with a good understanding of the evolution of one of the world's major cities, and includes many of the seminal maps for those interested in its cartographic history. It is a good book for just browsing the maps and illustrations, and it's appropriate for anyone with an interest in London and/or maps. . . . A very good value."
Review
and#8220;An attractive-looking book that might grace any coffee table, Illustrating Shakespeare invites the casual browser to enter the fascinating world of art based on Shakespeare. . . . Whitfieldand#8217;s book is to be commended for providing an accessible and affordable summary of an immensely rich and engaging subject, illustrated with a generous array of reproductions from both books and paintings.and#8221;
Synopsis
Like all the great historic cities of Europe, London appears to us solid and unchanging. We feel that we can still explore the London of Dickens, Dr. Johnson, Defoe, Wren, and even Shakespeare. The very names St Paul's, Smithfield, Charing Cross, and St James' seem to link us with those past eras. But this solidity is an illusion, for throughout its long history London has been changing and evolving. It has been renewing or replacing the streets and buildings at its heart and has been spreading inexorably outwards. This process is vividly illustrated by maps of London that have been drawn and published over the past 500 years; and this book offers a magnificent panorama of London's history by focusing on its maps. The link between London and Westminster; the devastation of the Great Fire; the emergence of the West End as a place of fashion; the opening of the Royal Parks; the building of the docks; the coming of the railway age; the impact of World Wars all these processes and many more are evident in these historic maps. Approximately 200 important maps from the mid-16th century to the present day are illustrated and discussed. For all those who know London, but who wish to look behind the modern facade, London: A Life in Maps should prove irresistible, highlighting the challenge of predicting London's future development and character."
Synopsis
For centuries, artists have been drawn to the plays of Shakespeare, translating his lines into brushstrokes and interpreting his characters and scenes in their own vision. From Henry Fuseliandrsquo;s Macbeth Consulting the Vision of the Armed Head and William Blakeandrsquo;s Brutus and the Ghost of Caesar to Eugandegrave;ne Delacroixandrsquo;s Othello and Desdemona and John Millaisandrsquo;s Ophelia, these works will forever influence our reception of the Bard.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;In Illustrating Shakespeare, Peter Whitfield draws on an extraordinary array of historical evidence to chronicle the way artists have embraced Shakespeare over the years. Whitfield shows how some artists succeeded in capturing the psychological truth of the dramas, while others merely dressed them up to suit the taste of their time. In addition, he reveals how the history of Shakespearean art parallels that of theater production. The artistic tradition spawned by Shakespeareandrsquo;s plays is extremely important to his legacy, making this gorgeous volume a must-read for scholars and fans alike.
About the Author
Peter Whitfield is former director of Stanfords International Map Centre in London. He is also the author of Cities of the World, New Found Lands, Astrology, The Image of the World, The Mapping of the Heavens, The Charting of the Oceans, Landmarks in Western Science, and Sir Francis Drake.
Table of Contents
London Before the FireMedieval London:and#160; The Earliest Images of the CityThe Tower and Westminster AbbeyThe End of the Middle Ages in LondonRenaissance London RevealedA Coronation ProcessionCopperplate:and#160; From Picture to MapBraun and HogenbergShakespeare's LondonThe Agas MapSmithfield and St Bartholomew's HospitalThe Norden PanoramaWhitehall PalaceCivil War LondonMaritime LondonHollar:and#160;West Central LondonThe Great FireThe Great Fire and the Map of Londonand#160;
The Age of EleganceThe London that Wren Never SawSt Paul'sFrost Fairs on the ThamesSt James'sThe West EndWhitechapel and the East EndVauxhall and Ranelagh GardensHogarth's LondonFashionable SuburbsHyde Park and Kensington GardensBedlam and NewgateSouth London:and#160; New Bridges, New RoadsChelsea WaterworksMarylebone RoadThe City and its InstitutionsThe Gordon Riotsand#160;
The Victorian MetropolisRegency LondonUnbuilt LondonBuckingham PalaceKensington TurnpikeLondon's DocksBelgraviaThe Railway AgePaddington:and#160; A Canal, a Railway, a Miniature Venice and a Teddy BearTrafalger SquareBloomsburyGothic LondonVictorian CemeteriesVictorian ParksMillbank:and#160; From Prison to Art GalleryNew RoadsDickens's LondonThe Great Exhibition and its LegacyLondon's Vanished RiversGreen London PreservedMapping Wealth and Povertyand#160;
The Shock of the NewUnfashionable SuburbsArchitecture:and#160; Edwardian and ModernistThe UndergroundWembley and Park RoyalRoad-planning:and#160; Early VisionsThe City BlitzedThe Festival of BritainPlanning the CapitalThe Transformation of the DocklandsA Hoxton ChildhoodA View from a Bridgeand#160;Select BibliographyIndexand#160;