London (Abridged Edition)

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Summary: You will regret reaching the end of this book!
Review: This is by far one of the best accounts of Anglocentric historical fiction that I have ever read. The accounts of the different generations from the prehistoric era to the 20th century give it the feel of a collection of short stories. However, Rutherford manages to create a good story by capturing the traditions and nuances that follow families throughout the centuries--whether it is a political stance, occupation, family name or even a mere physical trait. London is told from the points-of-view of multiple levels of society ,thus, giving a more complete--albeit fictional-- account of the city. A serious reader of historical fiction will do her/himself a disservice by ignoring Edward Rutherford. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE!!!

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Summary: Outstanding historical fiction
Review: A wonderful, enriching and absorbing account of the history of London, and of England as well. Rutherford dispels an incredible amount of fascinating historical detail in the context of an uplifting, touching human story that unfolds across nearly 2000 years. One of the best books of historical fiction I've read in a long time. Don't miss it.

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Summary: History as a Soap Opera
Review: The book provides a broad history lesson about the city of London and is, from that perspective, quite interesting. I have spent a good deal of time in London and know the city quite well. Rutherford's pages are fact-packed and the more familiar you are with the streets and districts of which he speaks the more interesting the book will be. I was just back in London a few weeks ago and recalling those factoids gave me a different perspective on places I've know for many years. The problem with the book, however, is just that: it is a book of factoids. The vignettes are, to be kind, trite and contrived. The book is eposodic, by necessity I guess, but it is unengaging because of this. In my view, the reader not very familiar with London will find the book unfulfilling.

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Summary: A readable, inclusive overview of the history of London.
Review: I enjoyed following a few families through the events of the ages. The ever evolving main characters are representative of John and Jane Public, the same everyday people as my ancestors. I was enriched as I learned of the politics, issues and events which must have influenced and even shaped the lives of my own family.

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Summary: A light and entertaining reading of historical England.
Review: A great book with for those wishing to learn more of the history of England in a light and entertaining way. The book can be put down and picked back up easily without losing much of the storyline, making it a great book for reading while traveling overseas.

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Summary: I just can't get enough
Review: I traveled to London last summer -- only spent a week -- the book is as captivating as the city. Do read.

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Summary: Curl up and kiss your weekend goodbye!
Review: This is a wonderful book full of rich characters whose lives you become emersed in generation after generation. As each chapter unfolds new characters emerge to replace the ones who came before. At first, I didn't want to let the characters go and was a bit annoyed that I would just grow to like one of them and he or she would be replaced by someone new. The great part of this book though, is that the character traits turn up in future generations and are never really lost only enriched. The historical backdrop makes for a really enjoyable and worthwhile read. I was sorry when it was all over.

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Summary: Not what I expected, sort of "Historical Fiction Lite".
Review: I purchased this book to read during my first trip to London. While the novel was obviously well researched I just didn't care for the style in which it was written. Too many gaps and ludicrous interactions between the relative nobodies of the novel and famous people. However, I did finish it quite quickly and enjoyed the history lesson.

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Summary: Very interesting complete historical overview of London...
Review: This book was fasinating. Once I began reading it, I realized I knew very little about the extensive history of London. Now having read it, I, for the first time, am really interested in visiting London to see first hand everything I've been reading about. So interesting were each of the chapters, I often found myself going onto the Internet to read more on various non-fictional characters or for more about the history or pictures of various structures. The author did a great job of telling the story through the lives of generations of several families and the end ties neatly with the beginning.

Rating:
Summary: i was blown away, and positively could not put it down.
Review: this is truly a good read. the pages almost turned themselves! mr. rutherfurd has a very real talent for taking the reader back through time, and he is able to cover a huge topic very satisfyingly. his characters seemed to come alive, and their stories are realistic. this book makes me want to go to london, so that i can visit the places he describes so vividly. i highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history with their fiction. i can guarantee that i will be purchasing and reading all of edward rutherfurd's other titles now.