author
Don Manoel Gonzales
A shadowy pen name attached to a wonderfully detailed tour of 18th-century Britain, this writer is best known for bringing London’s streets, buildings, and daily life vividly into view. The mystery around the real author only adds to the book’s appeal.
1 Audiobook
London in 1731
by Don Manoel Gonzales
About the author
Don Manoel Gonzales appears to be an assumed name rather than a clearly identified historical person. Sources for London in 1731 describe the name as the pseudonym used for the writer of Voyage to Great Britain, Containing an Account of England and Scotland, a work first printed in the mid-18th century as part of the Harleian travel collection.
The book most closely associated with this name, London in 1731, is drawn from that earlier travel narrative and became known for its lively account of London’s size, streets, landmarks, trade, and social habits. Some library and reference sources note that the work has at times been attributed to Daniel Defoe, but that attribution is not certain.
Because the author’s real identity is unclear, biographical details are very limited. What remains memorable is the writing itself: an observant, readable portrait of London that still interests readers looking for a street-level glimpse of the city in the early 1700s.