London Perceived

In unfailingly elegant prose, V. S. Pritchett provides a timeless distillation of the city of London and the London experience. He shows us the capital through the centuries a panorama of history, art, and literature; a paradox of grandeur and grime, the bustling markets and tranquil parks, the palaces and pubs.

At the heart of the book is an astute and affectionate portrait of the Londoner enigmatic and enduring, with a remote but insistent respect for law, royalty, and ritual, a love of argument, a tolerance of eccentrics. Pritchett gives us famous Londoners Wren, Pepys, Dickens and the ordinary folk milkmen and shopkeepers, Chelsea pensioners, and the London bobby.

London Perceived tells the eloquent and surprising story of this great and historic city Londoners will see their home anew, and visitors appreciate its small wonders. A loving tribute to London past and present.