
A sweeping portrait of England’s capital, this volume begins with the legendary founding of London by Brutus, the Trojan hero, and follows the city’s early growth through Roman conquest and the establishment of its first walls and gates. The author paints a vivid picture of the Thames’s twin streams, the marsh‑filled slopes that once framed the settlement, and the surrounding forest that gave Middlesex its name. By tracing the city’s evolution from a modest riverside outpost to a fortified Roman hub, readers gain a clear sense of how geography and myth shaped London’s identity.
The book is richly illustrated with more than fifty detailed plates, ranging from Roman pottery and Viking ship remnants to medieval costumes and early civic architecture. These images bring to life the bustling markets, the grandeur of early bridges, and the everyday attire of citizens across centuries. Together, the narrative and visuals offer an engaging, accessible entry point into London’s formative years, inviting listeners to explore the roots of a city that would later become a world metropolis.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (383K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2009-02-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1836–1901
A Victorian novelist and social historian, he wrote lively fiction, helped found the Society of Authors, and became one of the best-known literary champions of London’s history and everyday life.
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