London has witnessed everything from pilgrimages, celebrations, acts of heroism and moments of religious contemplation to riots, executions, grisly murders and disastrous fires. It is a history of work and capital, of power and exuberance, and of great creativity from a rich host of artists and writers, Shakespeare and Dickens among them, but also of violent crime, exploitation, loneliness and extreme hardship; life in the poverty ridden East of the city could not be more different than life in its opulent West End. Drawing upon extracts from contemporary letters, diaries and memoirs of fascinating inhabitants and visitors, this anthology by acclaimed London historian Peter Ackroyd and