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Loading... Dr. Johnson's London: Coffee-Houses and Climbing Boys, Medicine,…by Liza PicardSeries: Liza Picard London Histories (3)
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. This book attempts in a near-encyclopedic format to capture life in London from 1740 – 1770. It benefits from thorough research and liberal citing of primary documents. Picard also writes in a jocular and engaging manner. The downside is that she tends to lean toward the sensational aspects of 18th century life, with an anachronistic cynicism toward many of the behaviors and customs of the time. In short, this is a London equivalent of the book Boston Ways, a popular history appealing to popular tastes, but none the worst for the effort. Picard brings the people (and one elephant) of Dr. Johnson’s time alive for the people of today. (  ) Othemts | Jun 25, 2008 |  Entertaining look at 18th century London, concentrating on social history. Cross-references from the text to the pictures would have been nice. (  ) Robertgreaves | Dec 18, 2006 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Book Description (ISBN 0297842188, Hardcover)Like its popular and acclaimed predecessor Restoration London, this book is the result of the author’s passionate interest in the practical details of the everyday life of our ancestors, so often ignored in more conventional history books. Based on every possible contemporary source – diaries, almanacs, newspapers, advice books, memoirs, government papers and reports – Liza Picard examines every aspect of life in London: the streets, houses and gardens; cooking, housework, laundry and shopping; clothes and jewellery, cosmetics and hairdressing; medicine, sex, hobbies, education and etiquette; religion and popular beliefs; law and crime. This book spans the years 1740 to 1770, starting when the gin craze was gaining ground and ending when the east coast of America was still British.`Accessible and vivid. Picard's curiosity and enthusiasm are infectious, and she has an instinct for what will interest the lay reader' Daily Telegraph (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:56 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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