This is not a guide or a historical essay. This is a biography. Peter Ackroyd has described every feature of London, be it beautiful or ugly. The bloodthirstiness of the crowd and the diversity of fairs, the independence of Londoners, which even the kings feared, and the stench of the slums, which have survived even into the 21st century. History of bars and history of theaters, great fires and great fogs. The smell of London, the noise of London, the color of London - all mixed up under the masterful pen of Peter Ackroyd.