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Reviews

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I thought I knew London but perhaps not. Having lived here for a dozen years I should do, but I hadn't heard of many of the places in this book let alone been there. So we're working our way through them by region. It helps that it fits in a pocket and isn't too heavy, but it's packed with info and interesting anecdotes. We highly recommend it. (Helstar, Amazon)


London's secret walks takes you on guide filled journey around one of the greatest cities in the world. With stunning photography and an eye catching cover, this is a must have book for anyone who wants to discover the true London. (ukphnx, Amazon)


Great guide simple layout with maps identifying the locations of London gems are by area a must have guide if you live or are visiting London. (Mr Gordon Wilson, Amazon)


London's Hidden Secrets isn't intended for the "It's Tuesday, so it must be London" type tourist, but for those of us looking for the quirky, surprising, and wonderful this book is a gem. I thought I knew our capital city pretty well, but looking through the index there are dozens of trips to palaces, caves, gardens and interesting places that I've never even heard of and can't wait to see.

            The layout and text is crisp and easy to read even while travelling, the At a Glance panel is helpful, and the book is small enough to pop into a pocket. I liked the great photos and the easy reference maps - in fact I liked everything. (Antikdragon, Amazon)


"This lively sketchbook of London keeps you interested throughout. A human take of our wonderful capital makes you want to re-visit immediately, with book in hand ! the drawings are attractive and accurate. Well done, Jim Watson!" (Jan, Amazon)


I bought this on a whim as I had a few days to waste and didn’t want to do the 'usual' touristy things again. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to do something a bit different at their own pace. It’s full of great info on places you would normally just walk by without a second thought, it’s well written and the watering holes mentioned that I tried were just great. (Baldrecordman, Amazon)


Having recently located from one capital city (London) to another (Ottawa) I can thoroughly recommend this guide to anybody contemplating a similar move. So far (three weeks in Canada and counting) I have not found a topic that I needed advice on that this book could not answer. In fact, I have frequently found that I am perhaps better informed than some of the resident population! The book's style is open and engaging, and where differences between provinces exist they are outlined accurately and succinctly. My only, minor, criticism is that the indexing could be better, but not by much. If you combine this book with one of the better tourist guides I can't see that there would be much you aren't prepared for. (J.B. Chapman, Amazon)


Although I have not yet moved to London I have plans to do so in the near future. This book goes through all the steps of finding a place to live, finding work, choosing a school for your children, and how to get around the city. Especially helpful is the section in the book that describes in detail the different areas in London including information on housing costs, crime rates, schools etc. This book really is a survival handbook and I expect that I will be more confident in moving to London after reading this book. (Reader. Amazon)


The book leads you on 25 walks around different parts of London. For each walk, we are first given a map with the walk drawn on, then basic info on the distance and broad approximate time it will take (generally half-day or full-day), as well as the nearest tube or train stations to the start and end points. Following this, there is a bit of general history about the area. Then the walk starts, with detailed information over several pages, explaining where to walk, what you will see, including information and history along the way, as well as suggestions for places to stop off. There are also several photographs for each walk, showing some of the sights along the way.

            This book would be an excellent companion for anyone wanting to explore London by foot, either alone, or in a group. It would particularly suit those who enjoy learning a lot about what they are seeing. The hardest thing would be deciding which one of the 25 walks to pick first! The amount of information for each walk could be too much for some people as it does go into quite a lot of detail, but if that's the case, you could just follow the map at the start of each walk, and then refer to any points of interest in the text as and when you wanted to - they are numbered on the map, so you can easily find them within the text.

            A definite recommendation for anyone wanting to explore London in a different, and very educational, way! (Vanessa-Jane Chapman, Amazon)


This book strikes a note for sanity against the growing trend for guides that claim to select the best, or top 10, attractions in London. Who says they are the best, or top 10? Perhaps those guides base their selections on the length of the queues you would surely find yourself in at the Tower of London etc. London’s Secret Places offers a real alternative to coach trip London, giving 140 ideas for outings off the beaten trap that made me start looking for the timetable to London. The book is sensibly divided by region and gives a page of photos and basic information and another page of description to whet your appetite for each destination, including Whether your taste is for the Georgian splendour of Watermen’s Hall, a tour of Fuller’s Brewery, the ancient woodlands of Highgate Wood, or a 7am tour of Smithfield Market, you should find what you want. Unless you like queues. (Dave, Amazon)


London’s Secret’s has come up with another treasure trove from the resource that is our capital city; London. The author Graeme Chesters admits himself that he enjoyed discovering the bizarre and curious in his research for this book – and he instils his wonder at what he discovered in London in the text of the tome, with some delightful comedic touches. (NeilAplin, Amazon)


This is a little gem of a book. If you love museums, and want to plan your visit to London (or if you have moved to London and want to find amazing places you have not heard of), this is the book for you. Packed with lots of concise, clear information, it provides an accurate and entertaining guide to plan your next museum visit in London. Worth every penny! (ICCM, Amazon)


Initially got this as inspiration for somewhere different to walk my dog and was really impressed by the breadth and scope of information, and it's got me exploring London again. It's handy to have such a diverse number of parks all gathered together in one place, and I found the coverage of south London especially good. Same goes for the City - have been travelling up on Sundays to check out some of the unexpected places, like Postman's Park and Bunhill Fields. Nice book! (avidreader, Amazon)