'A Baedeker of the past, absorbing and revealing in equal measure' Peter Ackroyd
'Brings the age's tortuous splendours and profound murkiness vividly to life' Observer
When Dr Johnson published his great Dictionary in 1755, London was the biggest city in Europe. The opulence of the rich and the comfort of the 'middling' sort contrasted sharply with the back-breaking labour and pitiful wages of the poor. Executions were rated one of the best amusements, but there was bullock-hunting and cock-fighting too. Crime, from pickpockets to highwaymen, was rife, prisons were poisonous and law-enforcement rudimentary.
Dr Johnson's London is the result of the author's passionate interest in the practical details of the everyday life of our ancestors: the streets, houses and gardens; cooking, housework, laundry and shopping; clothes and cosmetics; medicine, sex, hobbies, education and etiquette. The book spans the years 1740 to 1770, starting when the gin craze was gaining ground and ending when the east coast of America was still British. While brilliantly recording the strangeness and individuality of the past, Dr Johnson's London continually reminds us of parallels with the present day.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Liza Picard was born in 1927. She is the bestselling author an acclaimed series of books on the history of London: Elizabeth's London, Restoration London, Dr Johnson's London and Victorian London. Her most recent book, Chaucer's People, explores the Middle Ages through the lives of the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales.
She read law at the London School of Economics and was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn, but did not practise. She worked for many years in the office of the Solicitor of the Inland Revenue before retiring to become a full-time author. She lives in London.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 2.64
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Like its popular and acclaimed predecessor Restoration London, this book is the result of the author's passionate interest in the practical details of the everyday life of our ancestors, so often ignored in more conventional history books. Based on every possible contemporary source - diaries, almanacs, newspapers, advice books, memoirs, government papers and reports - Liza Picard examines every aspect of life in London: the streets, houses and gardens; cooking, housework, laundry and shopping; clothes and jewellery, cosmetics and hairdressing; medicine, sex, hobbies, education and etiquette; religion and popular beliefs; law and crime. This book spans the years 1740 to 1770, starting when the gin craze was gaining ground and ending when the east coast of America was still British. The everyday realities of life in the city of Hogarth, Fielding and Dr Johnson, based on contemporary evidence. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781842127292
Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk1842127292xvz189zvxnew
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-1842127292-new
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9781842127292
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 6e0d645c2e0789c0b7de6bb33fa7c452
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9781842127292-GDR
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. The everyday realities of life in the city of Hogarth, Fielding and Dr Johnson, by the author of the bestselling Elizabeth's London. Seller Inventory # B9781842127292
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. new edition. 416 pages. 7.75x5.00x1.25 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __1842127292
Book Description Condition: New. 2003. Paperback. The everyday realities of life in the city of Hogarth, Fielding and Dr Johnson, based on contemporary evidence, by the author of the bestselling ELIZABETH'S LONDON. Num Pages: 384 pages, 32. BIC Classification: 1DBKESL; 3JF; HBJD1; HBLL; HBTB. Category: (G) General (US: Trade); (U) Tertiary Education (US: College). Dimension: 130 x 196 x 28. Weight in Grams: 300. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9781842127292