The London Compendium

The streets of London resonate with secret stories, from East End lore to Cold War espionage, from tales of riots, rakes, brothels, anarchy and grisly murders, to Rolling Stones gigs, gangland drinking-dens, Orwell's Fitzrovia and Lenin's haunts. Londoner Ed Glinert has walked the city from Limehouse to Lambeth, Whitehall to Whitechapel, unravelling its mysteries along the way. Here he uncovers the tales of the hidden metropolis - street by street, area by area and building by building. Now updated and expanded to include Stratford's Olympic Village, this book reveals London as you've never seen it before. 'Addictively browsable.' Independent, Books of the Year 'Splendid . . . This is a book that brings the underground to the surface, be it in the form of psychedelic rock clubs, suffragettes and political radicals, or the secret tunnels that link buildings across the capital in case of war.' Daily Telegraph 'Breathtakingly detailed . . . tells you all you need to know.' Time Out 'This is not just a book for Londoners but for anyone with an interest in the capital's history - and the more unusual the better . . . enough to enliven a walk in even the most salubrious part of the city.' Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year