"Our contemplation of London must begin, as London began, at the river. The River Thames is a slow moving and rather murky body of water, flowing west to east, about a quarter to an eighth of a mile wide as it passes through the city. To this day, the sinewy thread of the Thames is London's most notable topographical feature, the curving line around which the metropolis orientates itself. As we have seen, this was not by chance. The Romans founded London in imitation of their own great capital city so that London, like Rome, sits on its river at exactly the spot where it narrows enough to bridge (see Map 1). That confluence of west-east river and south-north bridge made London both a military choke-point and an economic funnel long before our arrival sometime in 1550"--

Auteur

Robert O. Bucholz is Professor of History at Loyola University, Chicago. He is the co-author (with Newton Key) of Early-Modern England, 1485-1714: A Narrative History (2nd edition, 2009) and Sources and Debates in English History, 1485-1714 (2nd edition, 2009) and the co-editor (with Carol Levin) of Queens and Power in Medieval and Early Modern England (2009).

Texte du rabat

A history of London during the period of its rise to worldwide prominence. Incorporating recent work in urban history, accounts by contemporary Londoners and tourists, and fictional works featuring the city, it examines how it came to dominate the social, political, economic and cultural life of Britain. 53 b/w illustrations.

Résumé
This book is a history of London from 1550 to 1750, the period of its rise to world-wide prominence. Incorporating recent work in urban history, accounts by contemporary Londoners and tourists, and fictional works featuring the city, it examines how London came to dominate the economic, political, social and cultural life of the British Isles.

Contenu

Introduction: London's importance; 1. London in 1550; 2. The socioeconomic base; 3. Royal and civic London; 4. Fine and performing arts; 5. The public sphere and popular culture; 6. The people on the margins; 7. Riot and rebellion; 8. Plague and fire; Conclusion: London in 1750.