David LongLondon's Secret Square Mile

I worked many years in the City and often wondered where the some of the alley-ways led to and how the streets and the sqares/courtyards got their names. Well this super book reveals all. Either walk the City and explore with the book or, as I am doing, use Google Earth to find the street on your PC, Mac, tablet or phone. Then see what the author has described. Absolutely fascinating book and great value.

As noted elsewhere the pictures are not of a high standard, but think of them just as something to bring a bit of flavour to the text. This is not a picture book.Also a book that gives the appearance of being full of facts reads more comfortably when there aren't errors jumping off the page so repeating the outdated assertion that there are no "Roads" in the City of London (part of Goswell Road has been in it since the 1994 boundary change) and not being able to tell the difference between granite setts and cobbles make one wary.Given the title it is odd that there are also excursions into the Boroughs of Islington, Southwark, Camden, and Tower HamletsBut this is all trivial - here is a book that lists a considerable number of obscure alleys tucked away in the City and has a good deal of interest to say about them. As such it is a very different addition for a London book collection, and is useful when planning off-the-beaten-track walks. A good test for maps too! - I needed my 9" to the mile A-Z Super Scale to track some of these down. Online, Bing Maps does well in locating most of them.

Thought it well-written, well-researched and surprised even me - a born and bred Londoner - with many well-hidden delights. I'd bought it as a present for a fellow ex-Londoner, but will certainly get my own copy.

if you love the City of London and often wondered about the strange names of roads, this is for you ... I love reading through it all and will keep it for reference too ... wished I bought the hard copy rather then Kindle now!

A wonderful recall of the roots of this great city & historical names that were the forebearers of today's modern and pulsing financial empire & heart of London .

I was fascinated by the descriptions of all the hidden yards, alleys, courtyards etcthat the author lays out for us, and have resolved to track them all down one day - notso easy when you don't live in London.The photos are a bit of a let down. OK, so some have argued it's not a photo book - butif you're going to have photos then why not have good ones?Also there has been some carping about the details - I don't know the geography well enoughto arbitrate, so maybe it's nit-picking or maybe the fine print should have been checked beforeit went to press? With a topic like the geography of London there's bound to be someone likea London cabbie at least who's got an opinion!However, all that aside, the idea is a great one, and it would be fun to explore with the book as a guide - pity there isn't a Kindle version!

Having moved to London in July 2012 I am finding the chapters most interesting and intend to visit the places mentioned.I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone living in London who may be trying to find places of interest.

A voyage of discovery and a magic carpet back into another age. Superb research an essential tool for City lovers.