The London Encyclopaedia

View other editions of The London Encyclopaedia.
View books by Christopher Hibbert, Ben Weinreb, John Keay, Julia Keay.

The best just got better - Rated
The old 'Weinreb' was the best single-volume reference book on London, despite a few minor but still niggling errors. Happily most of these have been pulled out, the book's been expanded with more entries and even better illustration, and I had no hesitation whatever in grabbing a copy as soon as it went on sale. There's nothing to touch it, frankly: magnificent, endlessly fascinating, and outstanding value even before the discount. My 'Desert Island Discs' read, as indeed it's been for the last 25 years.

A much anticipated update does not disappoint - Rated
as a Londoner who bought the original edition back in the 80's, my original copy is well thumbed and has brought me many hours of pleasure exploring the origins and history of a great capital city.

This much anticipated third revision does not disappoint and if anyone wants to invest in a book about London that you can keep forever and return to it again and again and gain knowledge, information and pleasure then this is the one to invest in.

Excellent Reference Book - Rated
It very big and heavy but a wonderful reference book.
I agree will other reviewers that some of the references sources may be dubious but dont let that spoil the enjoyment

A great book for a great city - Rated
This book is a real pleasure. It can be used for reference, or just to dip into. There are some differences between the story here and that from other sources, but I am not in a position to say who is right.

One important point is that it is big and heavy, not really what I would describe as portable, and it is structured as a reference work. What I am saying is that this book is not a tourist/visitor guide, but really an encyclopaedia.

This book has given me many hours of fun, and much knowledge. I agree with the idea of making it compulsory that every taxi should have one. If you want to learn about London, then this is for you.

A fantastic resource - Rated
I was amazed to find this book. It details lots of things about London that you didn't know you wanted to know!

Although I understand that not everyone can cope with London I find it a wonderful place to live. This book enhances the experience enabling one to find out trivial facts about places and areas of London. The one disadvantage is the inability to go back in time to look at how things would have been when you find some fascinating fact!