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London Rising: The Men Who Made Modern London |
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| Author: Leo Hollis Published: 2008-05-27 |
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List price: $27.99 Our price: $18.47 |
Usually ships in 24 hours As of: December 01st, 2008 01:34:32 PM |
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Customer comments on this selection. For Those Who Love LondonThe great fire of 1666 presented King Charles II, and those diverse individuals that served him, with the opportunity to create the first modern city of Europe. This wonderful book tracks the lives of five individuals (Nicholas Barbon, John Locke, Robert Hooke, John Evelyn and Christopher Wren) from the Civil War (in the 1640's) through the early 18th century. These individuals contribute to the "modernity" of London after the great fire in different ways (including contributions to science, religion, modern government, horticulture and, or course, architecture), with the center piece being Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral. Learn how these extraordinary individuals used their unique talents to make the City what it is today. Anyone who loves London will love this book.  Rebirth of London and the men responsibled for it.....This interesting book is a set of mini-biographies of five men who helped shape the future of London with their influence and abilities. The five men, philosopher John Locke, scientist and architect Robert Hooke, city developer Nicholas Barbon, politician and diarist John Evelyn and one of history's greatest architects, Christopher Wren. The author goes through each of these men, how they influence the development and creation of modern London as we know it today. Of course, much of this phoenix like rising of new London was owed to the Great Fire of London of 1666 that leveled most of the old city and thus, giving these men a chance to make their own imprint to history. I think of all the five men discussed here in this book, Christopher Wren definitely stand head and shoulder above all others. Even in the book, Wren's life appears to be more dominate and his works on St. Paul's Cathedral appears to be the central anchor of the narrative. And Wren's work is what we see more often visibility around London then any of the other four men in the book. I think the only minor weakness of this book comes in that the subject matter is spread out bit thin since its impossible to do justice to each men. However, this book definitely encourage me to read a biography of Christopher Wren which I will do in the near future. Overall, this proves to be a pretty good reading material for anyone interested in the historical development of London during the second half of the 17th century when the foundation of modern London was being laid out. St. Paul'sAnyone with an ounce of curiosity about the monumental doings in 17th century London should buy and read this book. Leo Harris is a wonderful storyteller, with a true gift for historical synthesis. Having read his book, I now have a much better understanding of the background to the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and of the astounding advances in scientific, economic and political theory arising out of the handful of brilliant men who dominated this transitional age. Those with interests ranging from religious theory, to banking, to urban planning and development, to architecture will enjoy this book, which will inspire many to go beyond it; to seek out more information on the time's many major events and still famous personalities, e.g., Isaac Newton, John Locke and Christopher Wren. This book will win prizes. |
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