London's War: A Traveler's Guide to World War II [Paperback]

Sayre Van Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2003

A unique guide to the history and still-visible reminders of London's heroic resistance, London's War is the first guidebook to explore the sights and attractions related to World War II and London's Home Front. Organized as 20 walking tours of central London and one driving tour of greater London, this guide describes, and often pictures, famous landmarks as they were during the Blitz — Westminster Abbey piled with sandbags, Parliament Square strung with barbed wire, the wax figures at Madame Tussaud's melted in the streets, the Tower of London's moat planted in onions and carrots. In addition to detailed maps that guide the traveler along each tour, London's War is filled with biographical bits, topical information, and cultural references that relate the wartime experiences of famous and regular people alike. It quotes the war-related writing and speeches of great authors including Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and many others. Written with an appreciation for the triumph of the human spirit that defines London's courageous efforts during the war, the book leads travelers on an uplifting and inspiring journey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ulysses Press (December 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569753822
• ISBN-13: 978-1569753828
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #534,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not your typical travel guide, January 30, 2004

By 

Michelle Lafter (wyoming) - See all my reviews

This review is from: London's War: A Traveler's Guide to World War II (Paperback)

Well first off, it's TWENTY walks not eight! Either way, I can't rave enough about this book. I bought it as a Mother's Day gift, and was leafing through it waiting for the mircrowave to bing, and have now read it cover to cover TWICE: first for the little boxed tidbitty things on each page, all the human interest details, and then for the rest of it, which turned out to be ALL human interest stuff. It's written about things you'd really want to KNOW, like how people felt and how they survived and how things are pronounced, and where the bathrooms are. It made me think how much dignity Londoners had, and how brave they were. I wasn't even planning to go to London and I still found the book fascinating. I guess that'd be my only complaint, actually. Now I want to go but I can't afford to! I'm writing this review because I just signed on to amazon to buy a copy for myself (not as a gift this time!), and thought I'd spread the word. Enjoy!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for your trip to London, September 29, 2006

By 

Travelinggal "travelinggal" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: London's War: A Traveler's Guide to World War II (Paperback)

I took this book w/ me to London last summer and spent time on some of the walks the author suggests. I wish I had had time to do them all as I found her guidebook to be an excellent source, highly enjoyable, lots of side notes and comments, with good maps.

When I returned I recommended it to a professor who was going over to teach for the fall semester. He reported that he and his wife thoroughly enjoyed it as well. So, if you're a history buff, WW II or not, you'll enjoy this guide.