The Annals of London
by John Richardson
University of California Press

"The Annals of London" is somewhat more than just a book. It's a massive tome.

This beautifully bound, elegantly expansive book has an air of permanence and authority about it, and it's a wonderful thing to hold; the very size and quality of the book's physical form does a powerful job of conveying the sheer size and vast history of London.

Author John Richardson has done his best to cram 1,000 years of English history into a single book, and he has done a remarkably good job. Despite its intimidating bulk and broad scope, "The Annals of London" is not really a history book, per se — there is no great thesis that carries it forward, no obsessive footnoting and no psychological analysis of the actions of great historical figures. It's safe to call it "pop history," with all the pitfalls that implies.

Instead of a more cohesive and weighty work, Richardson cheerfully presents the readers with an entertainingly scattershot, chronologically sorted millennial grab-bag of historical incidents that help give a reader an idea of London's evolution and general character. From the trivial (in 1303, a group of youths were put in jail for rolling a keg filled with rocks down the street) to the tragic (in 1666, a great fire gutted the city, destroying more than 130,000 houses), the book's blurbs spill forth history that is both accessible and illuminating.

By learning the disasters Londoners suffered, the trials they were subjected to, the civil wars and civil disturbances that ran rampant through its streets, readers can gain an appreciation for the somewhat dark past modern London is built upon. At the same time, Richardson shows a keen eye for cultural and technological progress, and paints a fascinating picture of a city growing in sophistication and confidence with the advent of the centuries.

"The Annals of London" contains a staggering amount of information. Aside from myriad historical blurbs spanning the millennium, the book also contains gorgeous and detailed maps, numerous woodcuts and many photographs.

Richardson's writing style is breezy but solid — readers trying to pick through a millennium rich in events will appreciate his brevity and efficiency, even as many of the city's happenings seem to beg for their own chapters, or entire volumes of history.

No such luck. Richardson rarely devotes so much as a single page of his 400 to any one particular event — some pages are filled with as many 10 distinct historical happenings. While this saps the book of any powerful thematic arcs, it makes what could've been a leaden march through the sludge of time into exceedingly light and diverting reading.

For sheer beauty, breadth and physical heft, "The Annals of London" is a pretty tough history book to beat.

— James Norton (jim@flakmag.com)