First published 2016
London's blue plaques mark the former homes of remarkable people who shaped history. Howard Spencer, historian of the blue plaque scheme, presents more than 900 commemorative markers scattered across the capital. The guide covers residents from Virginia Woolf to Vincent van Gogh, Christopher Wren to Alan Turing, Mahatma Gandhi to Emmeline Pankhurst. Spencer reveals the stories behind musicians, scientists, sports figures, artists, actors, inventors, and politicians who called London home. He builds upon the 2009 work "Lived in London" while incorporating his specialized knowledge of over 100 additional plaques. The 512-page volume includes more than 150 photographs in color and black-and-white. Spencer approaches each plaque with wit and insight, connecting the physical markers to the extraordinary lives they commemorate. The digital edition provides postcodes that link directly to Google Maps for location finding. This comprehensive survey transforms ordinary city walks into journeys through London's rich human heritage.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, art-history
Vibes: educational, informative, thought-provoking
Tropes: informative-guide
Setting: London
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
512 pages · Kindle Edition · September Publishing