Jenkins' book could easily be subtitled "A History of London Urban Planning" and it would be accurate, as he spends probably two-thirds of the book discussing how the city developed street-by-street, square-by-square as the owners of the vast estates that made up London competed with one another to produce something profitable--and often great. He also spends long parts of the book talking about the destruction and rebuilding (almost always for the worse) of large parts of the city. In his estimation, the Nazi Blitz of the 1940s did less damage than London's soulless architects of the 1950s and 1960s. For a reader not interested in this aspect of London's history, this book won't have much value. But if you spend a lot of time in London and want to get some understanding of how it came to be, this book is ideal.

Given that London has had little self-government throughout its history, Jenkins doesn't spend as much time on politics, but he does cover the highlights, with a focus on how London has dealt with its poor through the centuries. He highlights some notable reformers along the way.

Reading the book, you'll be turning to Wikipedia and Google to take a look at the places Jenkins lovingly or loathingly describes, so this won't be the quick read you are expecting. You'll get no resistance from Jenkins' writing however; he writes very well and his prose is highly readable with the exception of an unknown Briticism here and there.

Definitely recommended for the serious tourist, expat, or parent whose daughter just started studying there :-). ( )

Great if you're interested in the history of the governance and architecture of London, not so much if you're intrigued by the capital's people and culture. I didn't feel the book captures what makes the city so great and unique very well, and it's quite dry as a read (particularly as an audiobook). ( )