If you’re considering reading a few books about London before your big visit, then that’s a pretty good shout…
London has some great guidebooks that will teach you about the best places to visit, provide you with fun activity ideas, and highlight some of the hidden secrets off the beaten path.
Unless you’re after something a little more fictional, to get your imagination flowing?
London for years has been the base of some of the world’s most famous literature. These include great novels such as Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and the Sherlock Holmes classics by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Well whether it’s fact or fiction you’re after, my small list of books about London should have you covered.
As an added bonus, I’ve thrown in a handful of London’s most prestigious bookshops you may wanna visit if you’re down. Hope you enjoy!
Travel Guidebooks and Non-fiction
Lonely Planet: London
Quite possibly the most complete London guidebook on the market. I purchased the e-book version, which I found easy to read, knowledgeable and informative. It covers everything from attractions and recommended eating and drinking establishments to standard London etiquette. If you’re looking for a guidebook with lots of pictures then this one probably isn’t for you, but in terms of info it’s the bee’s knees!
Lets Go Budget London: The Student Travel Guide
If you’re one of those that likes to travel on the cheap, then this could be the guide for you. Although it states itself as a student travel guide, it’s really suited to anyone travelling in London on a budget. It highlights all the cost-effective places to eat, sleep and explore in each section of London, without missing on the small details. Although maybe not as fun to read as I expected, it does what it says on the tin.
Rick Steves London 2020
Easy to read and seemingly personable, with lots of details, images, maps and colour. The guide is informative, with lots of recommendations, and includes great info for all the places to visit. It also has useful tips for travelling around London. Ticking all boxes from readability to content, it has to be one of my top books about London.
Fodor’s Travel: London 2020
If you like a straight-to-the-point guide, with recommendations for the best hotels, restaurants, shops and nightlife then this one ticks the boxes. It covers all areas of London, and includes lots of historical facts. You won’t find many images, but in terms of venue ideas, this guide doesn’t run short.
London’s Hidden Secrets – by Graeme Chesters
Once you’ve experienced the big London attractions, seeing the lesser known places is intriguing and adds something unique to your visit. The book is essentially a big list of attractions off the beaten path, with addresses, prices and facts for each place. The book would have been improved with more pictures included, but it’s an interesting read none-the-less.
London Encyclopaedia – by Christoper Hibbert
If you wish to learn London inside out with no stone left unturned then you have the London Encyclopaedia. It lists and details everything in London – streets, venues, churches, pubs – you name it, it’s in here. Not light reading by any means, but it’s literally a catalogue of info.
Georgian London: Into the Streets – by Lucy Inglis
An interesting book covering London life between the years of around 1750 to 1830. It details an evolving period in London’s history, in regards to social attitudes, work and crime. It covers all relevant information based on each area of London during the period. A good read for anyone with an interest in London’s Georgian era.
Londoners – by Craig Taylor
A fascinating take on aspects of London life, based on interviews with a number of people staying in the capital. It covers folk from a wide variety of backgrounds, from the tourist and newly-arrived immigrant, to the born and bred Londoner; all of different ages and professions. I enjoyed reading about different people’s experiences, and found this a hard book to put down!
The Worst Street in London – by Fiona Rule
The story of Dorset Street – once one of London’s most notorious slums. The book follows what originated as a promising centre point for London’s silk weaving industry, to its decline into a haven of mass overcrowding, poverty and crime, before eventual demolition. Though the book mainly focuses on Dorset Street, it branches out into the wider area of Spitalfields, and gives you a harrowing insight into how life was for London’s poorest.
London: A Travel Guide Through Time – by Matthew Green
A unique and fascinating insight into London’s past. The author leads you through major pieces of London’s history as if you’ve jumped into a time machine. You’ll find yourself walking through the streets of medieval London, the Shakespearean period and the time of the plague, to name a few. I particularly enjoyed this book, as it’s so detailed and literally feels like you’re in each place as you read it.
Bizarre London – by David Long
A relatively quirky book covering many of the lesser known facts about London. The content includes details such as brutal historic executions that went ahead, buildings that were never constructed, and listings of pubs with their own poltergeists. Although maybe not as quirky a book as I’d hoped, it does include some interesting facts, and is quite an easy read.
Amazing London Walks – by G Costa
If you’re after an itinerary with lots of hidden gems then this could be the book for you. The book details step-by-step walking guides covering much of London, with lots of information packed in. I was impressed by the number of hidden little sites – many of which I hadn’t heard of. A good choice if you wish to experience London off the beaten path.
Famous London-based novels
Oliver Twist – by Charles Dickens
Well, anyone familiar with British literature shouldn’t be surprised at this one! Most probably Charles Dickens‘s most famous novel, about a young orphan’s story, from his expulsion from a Victorian orphanage to his saving from the grips of a gang of London pickpockets led by the devious Fagin.
If you’re visiting London, then perhaps consider stopping by the Charles Dickens museum? Click here to learn more.
You’ll find that most of Dickens’s novels are London-based. These include A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Great Expectations – all worth a read if you wanna enjoy the charm of one of London’s most famous Victorian authors, while also getting a small insight into life into 19th century London.
Brick Lane – by Monica Ali
A young Bangladeshi woman recently placed into an arranged marriage leaves her native homeland to live with her new husband in London’s east end. The story follows her adaption to a brand new culture, and an environment where she knows nowone and speaks little of the language.
A refreshing look at British suburban life through a lens that we rarely see through.
Fingersmith – by Sarah Waters
Another period novel set in Victorian England. The story is about a girl raised in a “family” of thieves who is sent out by her adoptive mother to conspire with a master conman and help him win the affections of a wealthy heiress, in order to take her fortune. As the plot progresses, things don’t pan out as planned, and unexpected developments appear.
A grimy and atmospheric read, with lots of plot twists!
Neverwhere – by Neil Gaiman
A fantasy novel about a young London businessman in London, who after helping a bleeding girl on the streets, ends up discovering ‘Neverwhere’ – a dark and terrifying part of London that he never knew existed. A place filled with beasts, monsters and lost souls. Richard only wishes to get home, but finds himself pulled into a dangerous mission.
Dark, fun, imaginative and sad, it’s a whirlwind of emotions.
The Girl on the Train – by Paula Hawkins
Rachel, an alcoholic divorcee, still takes the daily work commute into London, despite losing her job. While on the train, she regularly gets to see inside the house of what seems like ‘the perfect couple’. One day she spots something shocking, and before long finds herself involved in a missing-persons investigation. The story follows the unreliable accounts of the three main women in the book.
If you enjoy a psychological thriller, this could be up your street!
Famous London novel booksets
Bridget Jones’s Diary – by Helen Fielding
A very British series about the antics of a scatty thirty-something-year-old London spinster. It follows her life through a comical storyline of embarrassing situations and a chaotic love triangle with the snooty, uptight Mark Darcy and serial womaniser Daniel Cleaver.
Funny and relatable, Bridget Jones has become an icon of British culture.
Sherlock Holmes – by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Quite possibly the world’s most famous detective series. The legendary but complicated Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson have been iconic of London culture for well over a century. Their crime solving adventures have been written in four novels and up to fifty-six short stories.
Gripping and well-written, the Sherlock Holmes stories are masterpieces from Arthur Conan Doyle.
If you’re already in London, why not consider visiting the Sherlock Holmes museum?! Click here to learn more.
Rivers of London – by Ben Aaronovitch
Supernatural fantasy series about a geeky London Metropolitan police officer, who after a chance encounter with a ghost, trains to become a wizard within a specialist area of the force. He finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of unusual cases with spooks now aswell as normal folk.
Witty and dry humoured, with the odd bit of British slang thrown in. A fun read for fantasy lovers!
The Shopaholic series – by Sophie Kinsella
A popular comedy chick-lit series about the crazy life of a London journalist who writes on finances, but is completely incapable of managing her own. The stories follow Becky’s journey as an uncontrollable shopaholic living above her means, while trying to juggle a personal and work-life at the same time.
Fun and light with lots of humour, it’s a great choice for easy reading.
Cormoran Strike – by Robert Galbraith
Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, J. K. Rowling has written this series of crime fiction novels. Cormoran Strike is a London-based war veteran-turned-private detective, who along with his assistant sets out to solve London’s murder mysteries.
This four-book series is a different kettle of fish from Harry Potter, but well-written by one of the country’s most famous authors.
5 London Bookshops You Should Visit
1. Daunt Books, Marylebone
Considered one of London’s most beautiful bookshops. With its stained glass windows and wooden oak banisters, this charming former Edwardian store is the image of your classic book shop. One of those cosy places you can picture yourself relaxing on a cold snowy day. Although known as a specialist in travel, it has books in history, language and fiction among others.
How to get there
8 mins walk – from Baker Street tube station (Bakerloo/Circle/Hammersmith & City/Jubilee/Metropolitan line)
Your Google map route
2. Libreria, Spitalfields
Just a short walk from Spitalfields market, you’ll find the quirky Libreria bookshop. The shop is rowed with high wooden bookcases displaying books in a variety of unusual theme names, such as ‘Enchantment for the Disenchantment’. You’ll also find cool little nooks inside the bookshelves, where you can hide away with your book of choice. Don’t expect to use your phone though, as the shop is strictly tech-free!
How to get there
8 mins walk – from Aldgate East tube station (District/Hammersmith & City line)
Your Google map route
3. Foyles, Soho
If there’s any particular book you’re looking for, you’ll probably find it here. Foyles, in Charing Cross Road, houses literally hundreds of thousands of books in a shop spanning five floors. It also includes a cafe on the top floor, should you need a break from all the book browsing. Large and spacious with virtually every book genre imaginable, it’s a book lover’s dream!
How to get there
2 mins walk – from Tottenham Court Road tube station (Central/Northern line)
Your Google map route
4. Persephone Books, Bloomsbury
If you have a special preference for female authors, then Persephone Books is your place to come. This unique independent publisher based in Bloomsbury specialises in fiction and non-fiction by female authors mainly around the 19th and 20th centuries, which includes works by lesser known names, adding to its niche appeal.
How to get there
6 mins walk – from Russell Square tube station (Piccadilly line)
Your Google map route
10 mins walk – from Chancery Lane tube station (Central line)
Your Google map route
5. Hatchards, Piccadilly
A trip around the bookshops wouldn’t be the same without stopping by the oldest in London. Since its opening in the late 1700s, Hatchards has held a proud place in London’s history. It’s been owned by Waterstone’s in recent years, which may explain the familiar feel inside, but the enormous book selection over its five floors won’t disappoint!
How to get there
2 mins walk – from Green Park tube station (Jubilee/Piccadilly/Victoria line)
Your Google map route
And that brings to an end this small guide of books about London.
I hope you’ve found this helpful, and if you have any personal book recommendations, don’t hesitate to throw us a message! 🙂
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David is a travel enthusiast from the UK, and is the founder of City Anytime. Since a young age he’s held a lifelong love for travel and exploration, with experiences in the US and Central America, Europe, South-East Asia and Australia. Visiting the world’s cities has given him the passion to provide fellow travellers the necessary info they require to ensure they get the most out of their trips, and make every city travel experience a memorable one.
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