London (Eyewitness Travel Guides) - European Travel Books

Turtleback - 31 January, 2003 - DK ADULT
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By: Michael Leapman and Mary Scott
ISBN: 0789493837

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About this book

The essence of London, found "in the swing, tramp, and trudge; in the bellow and uproar; the carriages, motor cars, omnibuses, vans, sandwich men shuffling and swinging; brass bands; barrel organs; in the triumph and the jingle and the strange high singing of some aeroplane overhead..." (Mrs. Dalloway), is ably conveyed in the visual burst of Dorling Kindersley's London guide. This compact book is filled to overflowing with a montage of timelines, street maps, 3-D aerial views, district maps, cutaways of important buildings--including Buckingham Palace and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre--and more than 1,200 full-color photographs.

Like all of DK's books, this reference is overwhelming when you first crack open the pages. There's so much information, you almost don't know where to start. Lucky for tourists, London's editors kept a steady eye on usability when they organized the book. It begins with a short history (mostly conveyed in images) and then moves to an extensive section on the sights and sounds of the city by the Thames. The aim is to give you a "portrait" of each area before divulging the details, of which there is no lack. If you're worried about the practicalities of the trip, fear not: London is on your side. A section on travelers' needs and a handy survival guide--including instructions, complete with photographic aides, on how to use different types of public telephones--should eliminate any apprehension about exploring this wondrous city. Perhaps the most useful feature for those on the go who want portable information, and for those who hate to haul out maps in public ("Hey! I'm a tourist!"), is the "Street Finder," a comprehensive index of street names and 24 pages of corresponding maps. Small enough to fit in your backpack, London is the guide to grab before hopping on the Underground. --Heidi Robinson

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Reviews by readers

The travel book you really need!

I have many travel books for London but I have to say this is the best. Updated frequently, it contains a vast amount of information. I found the book to be very acurate with opening times and ticket prices for events, as well as travel directions. If you have never been to London before, you will appreciate the back section of the book which covers the basics (using a payphone, the different coins and notes, airport and train iformation etc). Even though I know London very well now, I still find the book very useful when planning a day out. The photography is amazing as well! This is a must have!

A Must Have

We only spent a few days in London but this book helped us to plan which sights we'd have time to see. It also has a great map of the tube which helped us, more than once, find our way around Central London. A Must Have!

Smart, User-Friendly Guidebook Has Legs After Your Trip to London

From Lonely Planet to the Rough Guides, location-specific guidebooks generally seem so transient since a purchase generally depends upon an upcoming trip and soon afterward ends up in a storage box collecting dust or on craigslist for sale. That's not to say they don't have valuable information when you need them, but there is no incentive to return to the book once the trip has ended. The one exception to the rule is the series of Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Travel Guides. The London guide is as good as any in the series as it presents a graphically pleasing, intuitively organized guidebook with detailed pictorials that show animated aerial shots of neighborhoods like Covent Garden or cut-away floor plans of heavily visited buildings like Westminster Abbey or the Tate. It also helps make geographic sense of neighborhoods that allow you to navigate easily through them by pointing out recommended sights.

The first part of the book presents a timeline history of London that is both interesting and useful, as events are cross-referenced to sights you would want to see there. There is a well-presented survival guide toward the end of the book that highlights important travel information as well as recommendations on where to stay, shop and eat. Moreover, there is a comprehensive street finder of central London which helps you navigate without the inconvenience of fold-out maps. All the information is contained within a user-friendly, laminated paperback format that slips easily into backpacks and holds up well against inclement weather (a particular plus in rainy London). For all its obvious benefits, the one that has the most resonance to me is the fact that the book makes a fine keepsake of the trip afterward given its colorfully glossy quality. Even though the price is on the higher end of such guides, it is well worth it for its lasting value after your trip.

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