Walking Dickens' London

February 15, 2012

Many London walking guides have trailed the footsteps of Dickens or his characters. This one is easy in the hand, nicely illustrated, and clearly written. Jackson (www.victorianlondon.org) eschews the larger metropolis, with its ties to Dickens's life, for eight walks within central London, thereby getting to the core of the city Dickens loved and its many representations and echoes in his books. Each walk, titled by the area covered, is described in about 15 pages, starting with basics such as where to begin, nearest tube station, walking time, and relevant opening hours. Jackson's narratives then each elegantly combine historical, Dickensian, and present-day details, enhanced with fine old and new illustrations and one neighborhood map per walk. Readers can use the index to trace references to particular novels. VERDICT Recommended to all visiting London, even if they think they are just going there for the Olympics!

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.