Rating: 
Summary: Superficial piffle
Review: I wonder if people rate this book so well because it is so big and they suspect that "big" and the effort required to create it means "good". Two stars then, for effort. London fails to provide any intrigue and thus, any interest. London has been likened to a collectioni of smaller novels, taken apart like this, these sub-novels are lightweight and fail to answer the Hows, Whos and Whys of the story. Sadly, there is no synergy. I agree with former reviewers observing that women are overlooked but then so are many males. It is a pity that Mitchener has died!
Rating: 
Summary: Capital
Review: A 2000 year history of London using a group of family-trees as the device by which the story is told. The quibble: As the cast-list and the geography of London is paramount to the enjoyment and understanding of this book I reckon a better series of maps and a clearer (fold-out?) family tree would have been a good idea. The praise: A thoroughly entertaining ride through Roman London, a succession of Royals, Chaucer and Dick Whittington, Fire, Plague, Reformation and we have not reached Victorian England yet! Each portion of history is relayed in the context of the characters that form a lineage throughout the 1000+ pages. For someone without too good a grasp of historical dates this really aids understanding of the events. A criticism levelled at the book is that the vignettes are (by definition) too brief. However, what else could Rutherford do? Write a 3000-page house brick?! In summary this book is easily digestible, educational and - thankfully- a superb read.
Rating: 
Summary: Very entertaining
Review: While the technique of this book is much more like Sarum than I expected, it was nevertheless very entertaining, a "can't put it down" read.
Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: Edward Rutherford has done it again. This book about the history of London is another masterpiece.He brings to the reader the whole evolution of this beautiful and incredible city from its very early periods during the stone age to present day happenings. Each chapter relates a different period in history, narrated through the activities of different families through the ages. Even though London is part of England, by being its center of politics and commerce it has always been considered a special happening place. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history. You will certainly enjoy reading this book!
Rating:
Summary: Rutherfurd .... Thank you
Review: What can I say .... great author and great book. Edward Rutherfurd .... thank you so much for this wounderful novel about one of the most beautiful cities on the world.
Rating:
Summary: A fun book!
Review: Rutherford is great at one thing- making history fun! Where other scholars books would drone on and on in a monotonous way, Rutherford gets history across to his readers through fiction. London was particularly interesting to me- I picked up my copy when I was studying in London and read it religiously on my tube commute. I already knew quite a bit about London's history, which made me appreciate all of the little jokes in it. This book is great for "newbies" to London's history as well as those who already know it. Very refreshing and highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: A good novel but nothing special
Review: Edward Rutherford does his homework and this book is evidence of it. A long time fan of Michner, I settle into Rutherford looking forward to a good historical romp through a place I may or may not be familiar with, and generally enjoy myself. What a pity I've never been to London because knowing the layout of the city a bit better I might have understood a good deal more in this book. The maps in the front were abysmal and didn't help in the slightest. I soon gave up looking at them and concentrated on the characters. Rutherford threw in so many small jokes throughout the generations in reference to their ancestors, I wonder how many I missed that were refering to real places in London? My biggest disappointment with London was that Rutherford ignored large parts of history that may have been the most interesting. He begins with Julius Caesar and the Roman conquest of England, paying little attention to the life of the Druids who lived for centuries undisturbed on the island. He then skips along through the next thousand years, pausing briefly to discuss the introduction of Christianity before jumping to the Crusades. The majority of the novel takes place in the last 500 years, and to me seems more a history of England than of London itself. Too many of the characters are upper class to be interesting. You can read about upper class Englishmen in Elizabethan times in just about any novel you pick up these days. I would have enjoyed it more to hear about the lower classes, or to stay with the merchants as Rutherford does earlier in these centuries. Which is not to say the book isn't worth reading. Each chapter is a good story within itself, showing a portrait of a given time and how the people who lived in it might have acted. I always enjoy seeing how several families may interact with each other over centuries without realizing it. I think the first half of the book was the most interesting, but then I read a lot of novels that take place in Elizabethan and later times so the earlier time periods are less familiar. In short, if you're at the library and want to grab one more nice thick book, maybe for a long train or plane ride, this is a good one.
Rating:
Summary: A densely layered opus
Review: Why would you want to read such a large book? I think the last page of Rutherfurd's novel explains it best. An archeologist is explaining why he does what he does to a group of elementary school children. He tells the students to imagine a leaf falling to the ground in the autumn months. As the season progresses more and more leaves fall. Each season adds to the strata of leaves. As the archeologist slowly sifts through the site, s/he visits each time period. Rutherfurd's novel tells the story of a few leaves, each beautiful, unique and with a story of its own. You may be intimidated with its heft, but the journey is rewarding. Each chapter can be a novel on its own, but what makes the book work is its central theme. After reading this book I feel I have a better understanding of the city. I look forward to the next Rutherfurd novel.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: A young boy plays in the shallows of a river which will someday be called the Thames. He lifts his head to see a mass of Roman soldiers on the other side. So begins "London", another wonderful book by Edward Rutherford, whose expertise in history is woven into wonderful vignettes about the families he follows down through the ages. Don't let the 1000 plus pages intimidate you; you will be hooked, and you will finish. Of course, that one finishes is the only regret- I could've kept reading this book for years
Rating:
Summary: Wow! What a read!
Review: Edward Rutherfurd is fast becoming my favorite author. "London" was the first of his books that I read. This novel is beautifully written and such a enjoyable way to learn about history. Crazy as it may seem, there was certain saddness in finishing "London". It become like my old friend and was such a wonderful escape. So...I ran out and bought "Russka" and "Sarum". I think Rutherfurd surpasses Mitchner anyday. I absolutly loved this book!
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