''Fascinating and timely. Required reading for every developer, planner or councillor who holds London in trust today'' Griff Rhys Jones

''Accessible, clear and readable'' Rowan Moore, The Observer

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LONDON: a settlement founded by the Romans, occupied by the Saxons, conquered by the Danes and ruled by the Normans.

This unremarkable place - not even included in the Domesday Book - became a medieval maze of alleys and courtyards, later to be chequered with grand estates of Georgian splendour. It swelled with industry and became the centre of the largest empire in history. And rising from the rubble of the Blitz, it is now one of the greatest cities in the world.

From the prehistoric occupants of the Thames valley to the preoccupied commuters of today, Simon Jenkins brings together the key events, individuals and trends in London''s history to create a matchless portrait of the capital.

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''A vivid and deeply well-informed account of London''s history'' Charles Saumarez Smith, Professor of Cultural History, Queen Mary University of London

''Extremely informative and witty'' Roy Porter, author of London: A Social History on Landlords to London

''A short, invigorating gallop over two and a half thousand years'' Scotsman on A Short History of Europe