Customer Reviews

The Amateur Historian's Guide to Medieval and Tudor London (Capital Travels)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anyone who has ever been to London knows all the basics--The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace--but this book takes you off the beaten path to some of the lesser known but still exciting places to vivist in London. The quirky stories behind the places are great, and I really appreciated all of the useful information, like hours of operation and admission costs. I can't wait for my next trip to London so I can use this fantastic guide some more!

Travellers on the trail of history in London know how frustrating it can be to locate Tudor and medieval places still in existence in that busy, crowded, vibrant, thoroughly modern city. Last year we spent a week with this guide in hand, feeling a bit Sherlockian in our quest. Even with the detailed directions provided by the authors, finding most of these hidden, nearly forgotten sites was a challenge. But with persistence and patience, our efforts were rewarded. What fun! Couldn't have done it without this guide. But if you aren't particularly interested in the places, the era, and the difficult pursuit, better not bother.

While planning an upcoming trip to London, I stumbled across this new title and have been delighted with its very refreshing approach to British history and travel. I don't necessarily consider myself a history buff, but this book's anecdotal approach to the(sometimes quirky) history behind some well known and lesser known tourist sites is quite interesting. For me, this title has also served as a jumping off point to more scholarly tomes related to my trip. This would be good for the armchair traveler as well.

I found this book in a DC bookstore while shopping for books to read on my trip to London. What a gem! it's fun, simple, and amazingly accurate! I used it with a native Londoner to see the city form a different viewpoint and we both had a blast and learned a great deal! I hope these ladies do more books like this one - maybe something on Oxford??

I very much enjoyed this book for many reasons, not just that it provides information you will never find anywhere else. The book covers many sites that I was familiar with and many that I have heard of and didn't know were accessible and many that I have never heard of. I will definitely take it with me on my upcoming trip, my 18th to London.

I like the style of the book, just casual enough to let you know the authors are real people (and have really been to the sites), but not overdone, which can get annoying with other authors. In fact, I skimmed through the entire book at one sitting, reading many parts entirely, as I found it interesting.

I have a few minor criticisms. (I'm still giving a five-star rating, especially since there is no other book quite like this, so invaluable.)

A few things people should know in advance: there is one general map at the beginning -- the authors state you need to pick up a map in London as this is not an easy city to navigate (I use London A-Z) -- and there are no floor plans of the sites. This is good (smaller size and price) and bad (toting and flipping from book to book or purchasing high-priced on-site guides). I'm sure it would be impossible to locate a floor plan for some of the more obscure buildings, so really can't blame the authors.

My main complaint (not major) is there is not a rating system, formal or informal, for sites. I know a lot of what is "worth seeing" depends on a person's individual interest, but, well, just because a site exists doesn't mean it's worth taking time out for if you just have a week or so in London. There's a big difference between "don't miss this hidden treasure" and "seek this out if you are in the neighborhood" or "best for those with a special interest in Edward IV, or stained glass windows, or gothic arches, or whatever."

Once again let me state that a major plus is the feeling that the authors have really been there and know what they are talking about.

By comparison, many years ago I bought a guide to London by a very well known guidebook publisher. I made a bed-and-breakfast booking on their recommendation of a charming hotel with a bright, cheery breakfast room. I won't tell you the full horrors of the place, other than to mention the tiny rooms with plywood walls and door, and the very dark basement breakfast room done up like a dungeon, complete with instruments of torture on the walls. And one shared toilet per floor, which sometimes actually flushed. I didn't just check out -- I escaped. It was very obvious that the authors of that other book had never set foot in the place, and I have more or less ignored mass-produced guidebooks ever since.

I really enjoyed The Amateur Historian's Guide series. I've traveled extensively in the UK (for my blog at [...]) and thought I'd seen it all - but this guide really opened some new doors to me. It's an essential guide to anyone in love with the Medieval and Tudor time period, and I love how the authors include information on great places to buy books. As a book lover, this really clicked for me. The entire series is good. The Amateur Historian's Guide to the Heart of England: Volume 3 - Nearly 200 Medieval & Tudor Sites Two Hours or Less from London (Capital Travels)The Amateur Historians' Guide to Medieval and Tudor England: Day Trips South of London - Dover, Canterbury, Rochester (Capital Travels)

It's a good book. Glad I bought ALL of the series.

I've never known a lot about medieval and Tudor history, but a friend gave this book to me to help me plan a trip to England. Now I can't wait to see the places described in the book. These authors have a fan in me.

For anybody who wants to know more about the history of places they want to see in England, this is the guide book for them. I learned alot of interesting things and had alot of fun reading this book. I like the authors' style very much. They make the history easy to read and understand.

I've never known a lot about medieval and Tudor history, but a friend gave this book to me to help me plan a trip to England. Now I can't wait to see the places described in the book. These authors have a fan in me.