London: A Short History of the Greatest City in the Western World by Robert O. Bucholz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Bucholz does a good job taking listeners through almost 1000 years of London history in a few short lectures. Clearly, he cannot cover everything and he does skimp on the Anglo-Saxon period. But, to his defense, the city’s pre-Norman Conquest importance was not very great.
Bucholz humanizes the city by presenting through the eyes of the people who lived there. He spending telling listeners what the city like during Shakespeare’s time, Samuel Peeps’s time and Charles Dickens’ time. He takes the listener on “walks” through the city and describes landmarks. Key moments in the city’s development are also explained in brief to the reader.
If you are looking for a quick understanding of the city from the Romans to the Modern Day, I recommend this lecture series.
The Booky Mom 