London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers by Jack Chesher

I hate to admit it but…I requested to read and review this book knowing I would be in London and wanting to see something new, different, and fun. Sadly, I forgot to download the book into a reader before traveling and lost out on SO MUCH! When I returned home, started going through books to be read and reviewed…there it was…this tiny gem filled with beautiful illustrations, unusual historical tidbits to seek around London, and specific walks to take to enjoy information in this book. I probably will not be back in London to do for a while BUT I will keep this book in mind to pick up before my next visit so that I can make the walks I would have taken if I had had this book with me a month ago.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group-White Lion for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Confession: The illustrations were absolutely the standout of this read for me!

We know I will read almost anything to do with London, and this book is a delightful addition to the armchair-travel/initial-guidebook genre ... but man, those illustrations. They would earn a special spot on my bookcase or coffee table themselves!

The text itself provides just the right introduction to each spot covered, whetting many an appetite (or at least my own--can I book a flight?). The author brilliantly intersperses some walks throughout, as well--which I would absolutely avail myself of were I a tad bit closer. This was a great way to get a birds-eye view of London and its rich history, art, and architecture.

I do wish that photographs were also included, but the illustrations more than make up for it.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have to admit that I haven't tried to use this book in London as I live somewhere far away. I know London a little and can imagine that this would be a good present for someone who wants to get to know the capital, especially if they live locally and have time, say at weekends, to spare. Another comment would be that you really need to own this book as a hard physical copy as it really doesn't work well in digital format.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was an interesting read and I enjoyed the unusual and off the beaten paths to find the the places in London. I liked the drawings as well.

This was so fascinating to read! London for the Curious Wanderers is just that - a guide to help you spot all the little gems the city has to offer, that you might just walk by otherwise! This book is here to help you out. It even has a walking tour map, at the end of each section, so you can go and spot quite a few of the curios for yourself.

I feel like I learnt so much about Londons history from these pages, in such an interesting way - like how much building regulations were changed post the great fire of 1666, how the pavements used to be paved in wood, and the history of how some street names came to be (or the unconfirmed folklore tales, in some cases) to highlight only a few.

There are some beautiful illustrations throughout the book, highlighting some of the interesting signs, buildings, and statues, ect, that can be found around the Capital, but I found myself scrambling for my phone to look up every other object that wasn’t given a visual - I just had to know what it looked like! However, I understand that the book would have felt crowded if there were illustrations for each curiosity.

Overall I think this is a brilliant book, and is not only handy if you’re planning on going for a stroll around London, but also if you simply want to learn some interesting facts and know more about the city’s history. I, for one, am about to annoy my friends and family to no-end with all my new knowledge, and would quite like to book a trip down to London, specifically to see the tiny cheese and mice sculpture on Philpot Lane.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the review copy.

London by Jack Chesher – A Guide for Curious Wanderers* is nicely illustrated by Katharine Fraser. This is not the usual kind of guide book, as it has no photos but only illustrations, and it doesn’t cover the “must-see” that you are familiar with from most guides. No, this is a book suitable for ones that are already familiar with London, that are living in London or travelling often. The main reason I say this is because for the first or second visits everybody would go to see the landmarks and not a street name, tree trunks, a secret garden, or a fence.
For the Londoner this is the perfect guide, as it’s unlikely people know all the stories and the landmarks in this book. It is well researched and interesting. The reason I gave it 3.5 stars is that the names are told in a tongue-in-cheek manner that became slightly annoying by the end of it and I also found a couple of jokes rather bad. Not every single place mentioned had to be described in a funny way.

Also, while the illustrations are really good, for some items mentioned in the book it would have been better with a photo. As not all have the exact address, but only the street name, which might mean it takes longer to identify the location. Although this is made with walking and looking at the surroundings in mind, so it’s not a big deal. I wouldn’t have taken out points in the rating for this reason.

Overall I found the book interesting. While it is a travel guide, I think it is most suitable for Londoners or people who are in London frequently, already saw the main attractions (maybe more than once), and who now want to see the hidden or mostly unknown parts of London. There are some maps in the book with walks and those are useful too, if anyone fancies a stroll in a weekend.

Do you know what jetting is or a sedan chair? Do you know when ‘Egyptian mania’ affected London architecture? You can learn the interesting answers to these questions and more by reading this book. It’s full of unusual facts about London history and architecture. The illustrations are an absolute delight. This is a perfect book for people who live in London, and for tourists. However, tourists may not have the time to explore all the places mentioned here. This book certainly made me wish that I lived in London!

I received a free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love going off the beaten track, so this book appealed to me and didnt disappoint. Full of information and interesting places to visit. I'm off to see the black cats of Mornington Crescent on my next trip to London and I think I need to investigate the urinal defenders and fart lamp. Looking forward to buying my copy.
Thanks to Netgalley, Jack Chesher and The Quarto Group for an advance copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a different way of looking at London, and made me itch to go and explore in person. The themed walks are great, and I'm planning to use it next time I'm up in the big city for a few days.

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

This is not the standard travel guide. Instead of photographs, there are detailed illustrations. Quotes about London from famous people, such as authors, highlight some pages.

The items featured are random, quirky, and idiosyncratic representing virtually every era of London history. The featured items include architectural details, urban features, and easily overlooked evidence of historical events. The explanations are provided in text formatted like museum placards. Some examples include evidence of London bombings during WW2, London’s largest graffiti wall, London’s smallest sculpture, “Two Mice Eating Cheese,” and fossilized tree stumps thought to be millions of years old. Maps for four walks are also provided.

This is a great choice for anyone who wants something other than the standard tourist view of London.

I LOVE this book. It’s equal parts amazing coffee table book and practical guide. It’s full of interesting historical facts about London and contains beautiful illustrations. I wish there were more illustrations!

Unfortunately, I don’t live in London and won’t be travelling there anytime soon so I can’t rate the walks themselves, but they look to be full of sites and mysteries, and I can’t wait to do them someday.

You can tell so much effort was put into this book, and it’s truly a work of art.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A lovely guide to more obscure things to see in London, in which everyone, even a seasoned London nerd, finds something new. It's obviously a labour of love, detailed but written lightly and entertainingly. The illustrations are amazing as well. I particularly like the maps for self-guided walks after each section - as an introverted traveller, I'll be using those a lot!

Read on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fascinating and engaging. I'd recommend this quick read to anyone who plans to visit London; or enjoys history; or enjoys architecture; or enjoys quirky facts about municipal infrastructure, etymology, geography, and epidemiology. Bonus: the unrepentantly punny section titles.

This book did well in expanding the beauty of London in my eyes. It moved away from the usual tourist hot spots to reveal more unique details about the city. It's the kind of book that makes you excited for your first/next trip!

Absolutely loved Jack Chesher’s debut book - it’s full of amazing trivia about this great city. His playful writing style is easy to read, informative yet not overburdened with unnecessary information. @livinglondonhistory
Every entry has a location guide where to find the objects the author’s talking about.
All in all, a very useful guide to the city’s past. I will definitely be reading it again!
Happy exploring!
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London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers is a great travel guide of London as well as a book that contains a wealth of information that many may not know about the City of London.

As a travel guide - I have been able to use it to help plan my upcoming, but hardly first, trip to London. The information presented will allow me to take a different look at my surroundings and take a unconventional tour of sorts, compared to the average tourist. As a book of a wealth of information about London - the given information will allow me to understand what will truly be around me and the history of all of it. Best of all, the guide suggests walks based on interests listed by section.

Exploring cities on foot and finding interesting quirks and details is quite fun. To go beyond standard “big” tourist attractions, to find fascinating little tidbits just hiding in plain sight — it is a great thing for any city explorer.

Jack Chesher’s London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers gives a lot of material for a few themed walks through London, ranging from historical building details to signs and street names to lost rivers of London. Pineapples, Roman wall remnants in a car park, oldest pubs, World War II shelters. torch snuffers, wood blocks road paving, etc. And all this comes with little tidbits of information, just enough to give a little bit of background and inspire a Google search or dozen.

What makes this book stand out are the detailed illustrations by Katharine Fraser instead of expected photos. Although some actual photos to provide a bit more “street” context would have been nice, I suppose that context would be supplied by actual walk to the places Chesher describes.

I had a few hours of fun browsing through this book and making a few mental notes of things to look at if I’m in London.

3.5 stars.

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Thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion and Frances Lincoln for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers is right up my alley as I adore discovering hidden quirky details in ancient cities which give glimpses into the past and enliven the present. When in London or other ancient cities, especially those I've visited multiple times, I constantly remind myself to look up, as well as all around as I've noticed many gems are underfoot or above my head. Sometimes one can trip over an ancient object, speaking from painful experience!

Author Jack Chesher describes each site/sight in beautiful detail...and details are what this book is all about. The superb meticulous illustrations are easily distinguishable and recognizable. Choose from four appealing themed walks, gawp at the maps at the back of each chapter closely for self-guided walks and lose yourself in adventuring. Check out the Roman city wall ruins at a car park, medieval oriel window in St. Bartholomew the Great Church, overhanging jetties which remarkably survived the Great Fire, the bust of King Charles I over the entranceway of the Banqueting House, learn about sash windows and window tax, spot torch snuffers and sphinx sculptures. Ogle the charming cherubs on telephones at Two Temple Place, Turkish Bath House, deep-level shelters, origins of food and market names. Decipher symbols including the golden leopard head, the Mercers' maiden, pineapples, mysterious seven noses of Soho, Ordnance Survey benchmarks and tiny "Two Mice Eating Cheese" sculpture. Wonder at the wood block paving, war department markers and cattle troughs. But if flora and fauna are your thing, as they are mine, you will be happy to discover old plane trees, ring-necked parakeets and a miniature vineyard, What a pleasure it will be to return with this book to find hidden treasures. Part of the fun is the hunt!

If you're keen to visit London for the first time or live there, you will assuredly be tickled (and rewarded) by these objects.

My sincere thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion and NetGalley for the privilege of learning more about this wonderful city from a completely different perspective.

I followed Jack on social media because when I lived in London I LOVED finding new and quirky little places. I will 100% buy this physical book. I love how incorporates history, interest and fun in one of the greatest cities and gives you the ability to tour yourself through it.

First up thank you for allowing me to read this one!
Secondly, this was fun, but it just didn't read well from a PC screen. The words just started to blur. Even with my glasses on. And the app didn't work as each spread was two pages, so that was just unreadable on a tiny phone screen. I think this one would work better for me as a physical copy. It was interesting though, and I would have loved to have this one when I visited in 2018. Sadly, I probably won't be visiting the UK anytime soon as you need a passport for that, and to just get a passport for that? Eh, too expensive. I still want to read the book though, see if I recognise anything that I came across in 2018 + learn some new facts and titbits. I do love how this one goes for both more known things (like London Bridge and the oldest pub) and some more hidden things. I also love the illustrations that were dotted throughout the pages.
All in all, if I have the chance and remember about the book I will see if Amazon has it when it releases~