Amazon Review
John Farman well and truly hits the spot in this absolutely hilarious sideways glance at the history of one of the most fascinating and cosmopolitan capital cities in the world. Starting at the very beginning, before there even was a London as such, Farman turns his attention to the trials and tribulations of this cultural capital through the ages. Each page is packed with history, anecdotes and titbits of blood and gore, and never straying from the purpose of informing and entertaining.

An excellent, practical history book, very much in the vein of Terry Deary's Horrible Histories series, The Very Bloody History of Londongives the plain facts without the dreary bits. Well and truly spiced up with a tongue-in-cheek approach that doesn't take it all too seriously, Farman niftily pops in suggestions for places to visit and landmarks to look out for, as well as slipping in a few home truths about the city as it stands today.

All in all, this breathless interpretation of the events which led to the building of the London we all know and love is a fine example of how history can really come to life if treated with the respect, affection and humour that is needed to inspire further investigation. (Ages 9 and over) --Susan Harrison