London's Thames: The River That Shaped a City and Its History [Hardcover]

Gavin Weightman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There are many great cities situated on rivers, but none has been shaped so profoundly by its aquatic artery as London, or "London-on-Sea," as Weightman, a documentary filmmaker, author and expert on the city's history, wittily calls it. As he points out, the Thames is different from, say, the Seine, in that it is tidal in both directions, meaning that "a sailing ship could weigh anchor near the mouth of the Thames as the flood tide began, and for six hours it would be carried inland"; it could then "get a free ride back to sea on the ebb tide." For centuries, these powerful Thames tides helped the world's sailors provide an expanding London with the food and raw materials it craved. Given the modern predominance of the road and the airport, rivers may not be so important anymore to urban growth and commerce, but Weightman makes a persuasive case that the "strong brown God" (as T.S. Eliot dubbed it) continues to bestow on London its unique dynamism. Thanks to 25 concise chapters covering everything from the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race to sewers and bridges, Weightman's book makes an amiable companion for Londoners and tourists alike. B&w photos. (Dec.)
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From Booklist

Weightman's eleventh book is his second on the famous Thames River in England. He chronicles its historical significance in the rise and growth of London, focusing on such features as the Old London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Westminster Bridge, the Tower of London, the ships that once carried coal to the city, the Great Fire of 1666 (when many people fled to the river), and the wharves, warehouses, docks, and fisheries of a bygone era. Weightman vividly describes the crisis of London's sewage in the 1800s, caused by the rapid growth of flush toilets, boat races in the river, and its railway bridges. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, the book is an absorbing account of the river's history, and will be a good background-reading source for the traveler heading to England. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (November 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312340176
• ISBN-13: 978-0312340179
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,213,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating work, November 30, 2005

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Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: London's Thames: The River That Shaped a City and Its History (Hardcover)

This is an insightful intriguing look at how the Thames River shaped London with its uncanny tides that enabled major shipping as they run in both directions. Dubbing the city as "London-on-Sea" Gavin Weightman makes a strong case that it is the river that turned London into the great city it is. Mindful of Kornblum's AT SEA IN THE CITY: NEW YORK FROM THE WATER'S EDGE, Mr. Weightman gets very specific in supporting his theory with evidence from history and the present. Tidbits from Caesar to the Regency to Dickens and to the Millennium make for a fine time especially for those fascinated by what shaped a major urban area as well as for tourists and residents whether it is a odious dirty plunge into sewage, boat races, fish, floods, towers and bridges, etc. Numerous black and white photos enhance a picture of a city that has been around since the Romans founded Londinium as a military encampment in the first century. T.S. Eliot, who understood mighty rivers having been raised in St. Louis, summarizes the impact best in the Waste Land when he names the Thames as London's "strong brown God" flowing and controlling much of the history of the city. This is a fascinating work that is fun to read over a few days.

Harriet Klausner