Gilbert and Sullivan's London [Paperback]

Andrew Goodman (Author), Mike Leigh (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

Andrew Goodman tells the story of the most astonishing partnership in the history of British musical entertainment, and unfolds it against the authentic background of the city and era in which they flourished. With much original research and many hitherto unpublished illustrations, Goodman makes an invaluable contribution to our knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Gilbert and Sullivan in this handsome volume, already a classic of its kind. He summons up a bygone era in a predominantly celebratory tone: recalling the lost grandeur of the city's great entertainment palaces, its atmospheric streetlife and nightlife, its splendour and its squalor. Mike Leigh, director of "Topsy Turvy", a film about Gilbert and Sullivan's collaboration on "The Mikado", provides a new foreword.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andrew Goodman has been writing about Gilbert and Sullivan for over twenty years. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571200168
• ISBN-13: 978-0571200160
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,799,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very fine book-a treasure trove of info on G&S and London, September 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Gilbert and Sullivan's London (Paperback)

This is a marvelous book. This is a charming account of the relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan (both individually and as collaborators) with London. The author Andrew Goodman (who really knows his stuff) organized this enormous treasure-trove of information by neighborhood. The book gets off to a strong start by reviewing how London developed-it impressed me how much London is a Victorian city, with many famous neighborhoods were all but farmland in the early 19th century. This book is meant not only for lovers of G&S but lovers of London and good travel writing as well.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Travel Guide, November 1, 2001

By 

D. W. Casey (Sturbridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gilbert and Sullivan's London (Paperback)

Well researched, the book would make an excellent companion on a walking tour of London. The author knows what buildings are still standing from Gilbert and Sullivan's world, which have been demolished, and which have changed. Gives great descriptions of the theaters, including the Savoy, where the productions were staged, and so forth.

If I have a criticism of the book, it is laid out geographically -- so you might be discussing Gilbert in 1876 at one minute and Arthur Sullivan in 1885 at another, because that is where the next building on the street leads you. The continuity suffers a little because of this.

But if you know a Gilbert and Sullivan fan who is making a pilgrimage to London, this is the perfect book for them.