Dickens' Dictionary of London 1888 [Hardcover]

Charles Dickens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2006

An unconventional Victorian guidebook which vividly captures the atmosphere and vitality of what was then the largest city in the world, the heart, not just of the nation, but also of a great empire. Through a series of over 700 detailed entries contained in 272 pages printed facsimile from the original 1888 edition, we build up a living portrait of Victorian London, from the fashionable gentlemen's clubs of St James's to the markets and slums of the East End. The remarks on the principal buildings, the churches and the great railway stations, the banks, theatres and sporting facilities are informative and well observed, the comments of someone who obviously knew London like the back of his hand. Equally revealing and very entertaining are the wealth of tips on social behaviour. There is essential advice on everything from the hiring of servants (a parlour maid's recommended salary was 12 per annum), the benefits of cycling (most welcome in view of the saving of cruelty to horseflesh), how to cope with milk contaminated with diphtheria and typhoid, fogs (much appreciated by the predatory classes) through to avoiding the attention of carriage thieves. This very detailed guidebook, and its companion volume "Dickens's Dictionary of the Thames" (Old House Books) were published by Charles Dickens' son at the time of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and is a mine of information for all lovers of London and its past.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Old House Books; Facsimile of 1888 ed edition (December 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1873590040
• ISBN-13: 978-1873590041
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A DICTIONARY with a twist, March 18, 2009

By 

Dara C. Tressler (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dickens' Dictionary of London 1888 (Hardcover)

This is a reproduction of a book published in Late 1800's. The 15 maps are the first items in the book and are somewhat hard to see. However, if you have a magnifying glass, you can pick some details out. The parks look like they were drawn to look a little like parks. The rest of the book is just like a dictionary, if you know what you are looking for, you can find details on it. For instance, if you want to know about Contituencies then you would look in the CON section (i.e. Constinuencies, Parliamentary). This book is as the name suggests a reference dictionary applicable to the late 1800's. Probably good to have if you are a Victorian writer or historian or just have an interest in the time period. It's small size makes it convenient to carry but a little bit hard to read (so be sure and have some reading glasses handy)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dickens' London, March 19, 2010

By 

Charles J Caes (Warrenton, Va. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dickens' Dictionary of London 1888 (Hardcover)

This is a late 19th century book that post-dates Dickens but nonetheless is ideal for those who like to travel into the past, especially researchers, educators, and writers who want to know more about the the London of Charles Dickens, either for their own own special projects or to get to know that prolific writer even better. It is in dictionary format and is a rather exhaustive listing of places in the city, not limiting itself only to places Dickens may have passed or visited on his frequent and extensive walks about the city. In this way, it is very much unlike that of Walter Dexter's "The London of Charles Dickens," (Dutton, 1924), also recommended.