The London Nobody Knows

Originally published in 1962 and made in 1967 into an acclaimed documentary film starring James Mason, this book has been a must-have for anyone with an interest in London ever since

Geoffrey Fletcher's offbeat portrayal of London does not focus on the big landmarks, but rather "the tawdry, extravagant and eccentric." His descriptions will transport readers to an art nouveau pub, a Victorian music hall, a Hawksmoor church, and even a public toilet in Holborn in which the attendant kept goldfish in the cisterns. Drawn to the corners where "the kids swarm like ants and there are dogs everywhere," Fletcher wrote about parts of the city where few outsiders venture. Many of the places written about are sadly no more, but the sights and sounds of Fletcher's London are preserved in this classic book through his beautiful illustrations and eye for the unusual and striking.