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A review by kevin_shepherd
Walking London by Andrew Duncan
4.0
Andrew “Swift Shoes” Duncan has mapped out 30 strolls in and around London proper. From the short jaunt thru Covent Garden (2 miles) to the Bataan death march of Highgate to Hampstead and back (13 miles), there is something here for almost everyone. There are panoramic walks and waterside walks and shopping walks and garden walks and country walks and village walks and… I’m almost out of breath just thinking about them.
Walking London not only has descriptive bits about the local landmarks but there’s also a modest amount of London’s storied history intertwined with the thoughtfully planned hikes and amblings here. I learned things about the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz of WWII that I never knew. Plus, I am no longer completely ignorant of the likes of Sir Christopher Wren and Samuel Pepys and John Nash (for the record, I was already well aware of Charles Dickens—Americans aren’t worldly but some of us are semi-literate).
As much as I enjoyed this, the true test will be two months from now when I actually set foot (pun intended) in London. Four stars for now but I respectfully reserve the right to bump this rating up (or down) upon my return.
Thank you Mr Duncan for a most enjoyable read!
Walking London not only has descriptive bits about the local landmarks but there’s also a modest amount of London’s storied history intertwined with the thoughtfully planned hikes and amblings here. I learned things about the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz of WWII that I never knew. Plus, I am no longer completely ignorant of the likes of Sir Christopher Wren and Samuel Pepys and John Nash (for the record, I was already well aware of Charles Dickens—Americans aren’t worldly but some of us are semi-literate).
As much as I enjoyed this, the true test will be two months from now when I actually set foot (pun intended) in London. Four stars for now but I respectfully reserve the right to bump this rating up (or down) upon my return.
Thank you Mr Duncan for a most enjoyable read!