London: A Social History

Rating:
Summary: A University Student's Perspective
Review: I want to preface this review by stating that I am in no way an expert on Roy Porter as a historian in general, nor do I claim to have read a plethora of similar books on the history of London. I am merely writing this review as someone who has read Porter's book for a 300-level university course on the history of London.

That said, I have to say that if you are looking for a cohesive overview of every aspect of London's history, you may want to look elsewhere. Porter's primary focus is a religious history of London (which would have been a more apt title). He spends too much time describing in detail nearly all of London's churches (and there are hundreds) and talking about the development of the streets. There are paragraphs (and, indeed, the entire introduction chapter) rattling off street names that mean nothing to anyone but native Londoners. I am currently studying in London and have lived here for quite some time, and still the street names do nothing to enhance understanding. It serves primarily to congest and overwhelm the bits of valid information that are thrown in.

Porter says little about the evolution of London as it relates to England's history. He does divide the chapters into specific historical periods, which is useful, but for those who want to learn about the more interesting monarchs and their relation to the city, read another book. He barely mentions Henry VIII or any of the more colorful monarchs. His chapter on the Tudor period focuses primarily on the Reformation and the reigns of Elizabeth and Mary. While interesting, there is more to a social history than religious upheaval and trade guilds.

I would have to say that Porter's history of London takes a convoluted and dull approach to a fascinating history. The book is by no means bad, but for those who have a choice in what they read and want to spend their time wisely, I'd advise buying a different history of this great city.

Rating:
Summary: Not a social history, but it's a wonderful book nonetheless
Review: Roy Porter's book covers the full breadth of London history, from Roman times to approximately 1990, with the Victoria era and the post-WWII era receiving particularly heavy emphasis. A more accurate title for the book would be 'London: A History,' because the social history component is a bit thin. Porter devotes more attention to the evolving political situation and to physical characteristics (streets, fortifications, famous buildings) than he does to social history.

This is a wonderful introduction to London, and would be ideal for the visitor seeking a deeper appreciation of (what I regard as) the world's most fascinating city. One quibble: Porter should have been more self-restrained about his visceral hatred of Margaret Thatcher. Porter's rants about her are so over-the-top that he even blames her for the excesses of left-wing political correctness.

Rating:
Summary: A city and its peoples
Review: Roy Porter, noted and trained as a medical historian, turned his attention to the social development of London, and we are the richer for it. Porter is a Londoner, and has a passion for the city. He is, however, frank in his conviction that London has had it's hour upon the stage:

'London is not the eternal city.... Between the two Elizabeths, between 1570 and 1986 to be more precise, it was to become the world's greatest city.'

Porter sees the abolition of the Greater London Council (GLC) by Margaret Thatcher as a benchmark to the demise of London as a great city (I happen to disagree; will he change his opinion in light of the upcoming mayoral elections in London?) Porter's current pessimism about London is very apparent from page 1 of the introduction; however, this does not keep him from doing a sterling job with his subject throughout the text.

Porter gives brief description to Londinium (mentioning among other things that it was abandoned 'to the dogs' by the Romans in the fifth century), however, begins his history in earnest about the year 1500 because while 'the Romano-British city and its medieval successor have left extensive archaeological remains and chronicles, ...we have no full visual record from before the Tudor age.'

Porter examines eras in terms of the history of culture, of commerce and industry, and of population and social changes. The nineteenth century (in which there was practically no urban planning, as any current map will inform you) is described as 'Bumbledom', particularly in the field of London politics.

Porter describes the expansion of London as a 'fungus-like growth' in the late 19th/early 20th centuries; he concludes his analysis with chapters on 'Swinging London' and 'Thatcher's London'. Porter leaves us with a question: 'London was always a muddle that worked. Will it remain that way?'

In all, a wonderful read, a wonderful story, and a wonderful topic.