Ackroyd p london a biography
London: The Biography
"London is perhaps the most important study of the city ever written, and confirms Ackroyd's status as what one critic has called "our age's greatest London imagination."
Much of Peter Ackroyd's work has been concerned with the life and past of London but this new work is his definitive account of the city. For Ackroyd, London is a living organism, with its own laws of growth and change, thus the subtitle "A Biography (as opposed to "A History). The book differs too, from histories, in the range and diversity of its contents. Ackroyd portrays London from the time of the Druids to the beginning of the twenty-first century, noting magnificence in both epochs, but this is not a simple chronological record. There are chapters on the history of silence and the history of light, the history of childhood and the history of suicide, the history of Cockney speech and the history of drink.
"London is fully comprehensive, animated by Ackroyd's concern for the close relationship between the present and the past. He describes the peculiar "echoic" quality of London whereby its texture and history actively affect the lives and personalities of its citizens. All of Ackroyd's writing has been strongly linked with London - from novels such as "Hawksmoor and "The Plato Papers through his biographies of what he calls his "great Cockney visionaries": Dickens, Blake and Thomas More. Now, at last, his obsession with London takes centre-stage.
London: The Biography
2000 book by Peter Ackroyd
London: The Biography is a 2000 non-fiction book by Peter Ackroyd published by Chatto & Windus.
Content
Ackroyd's work, following his previous work on London in one form or another, is a history of the city. It is chronologically wide in scope, proceeding from the period of the Upper Jurassic through to the period of the Druids and on to the 21st century.
Although it does have a broadly chronological aspect to its structuring, the work is organised in a thematic fashion, particularly from the late medieval period to the end of the 19th century where the approach taken is one that eschews a linear time-based narrative and instead focuses upon the organisation of the material on the basis of themes. There are sections and digressions on everything from the history of silence in relation to the city, the history of light, childhood, ghosts, prostitution, Cockney speech, graffiti, the weather, murder, suicide, theatres and drink.
The work is constructed from data and stories accumulated from a large assemblage of both primary and secondary sources that incorporate literary sources such as diaries or newspaper articles as well as maps, pictures and public street signs. There are small elements of the personal or the autobiographical, such as a discussion of Ackroyd's discovery of Fountain Court in the Temple as a child, but the tone is overwhelmingly public rather than personal.
An important aspect of the tone and methodology of the book is its tendency towards antiquarianism, a fact that is heightened by Ackroyd's lionisation of the work of John Stow, with a tendency towards a focus upon details and the microcosmic rather than grand or broad sweeps of history.
Two particular elements underlying the work are Ackroyd's belief that London is a unique metropolis on the one hand, and that on the other it has long been resistant to 'planning'. He cites the example of Paris's It’s one of the greatest books ever written about the capital. Peter Ackroyd’s London: The Biography (2000) is a sprawling tome that explores our city’s past through themed chapters. I owe this book a great debt. It first set me off on what became a lifelong obsession with the city. As it approaches its quarter-century, I’ve re-read the whole thing to see how it’s aged with time. ***And I’ve also mapped it.*** Yup, every single street, building, station, park and “noisome alley” that Ackroyd mentions within the ~900 pages. I’m not even sure why. It’s just an urge with me. But the results, I hope, will be of interest to those who also adore the book. Welcome to the most intensely geeky edition yet of Londonist: Time Machine… But first, two announcements… 📣📣 Thanks everyone for all your support and lovely comments. We’ve been blown away by how many people read this newsletter each week. We’re now eight months old, and it’s been an absolute blast writing these features and watching the reaction. Now feels like the right time to make a few minor tweaks to make the newsletter even better. This Wednesday newsletter will continue as ever, with an in-depth topic from London’s history. There may be occasions (like school holidays) when I take a week off to spend some time exploring the city with my kids… then again, I might still be able to fit it in… we’ll have to see. For paying subscribers, as mentioned last week, your Friday newsletter will be a little different from now on. I was getting a bit restless with the “5 Historical Quirks to spot in…” format. It was starting to feel formulaic. So instead expect a short newsletter on whatever historical nugget has tickled my fancy over the past week. Sometimes this might relate to a new exhibition or item in the news, other times it’ll be something entirely whimsical, and sometimes (like this week) I’ll use it to go into a bit more depth on the Wednesday topic. Much more fun! We’ll also be taking Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Much of Peter Ackroyd's work has been concerned with the life and past of London but here, as a culmination, is his definitive account of the city. For him it is a living organism, with its own laws of growth and change, so London is a biography rather than a history. It differs from other histories, too, in the range and diversity of its contents. Ackroyd portrays London from the time of the Druids to the beginning of the twenty-first century, noting magnificence in both epochs, but this is not a simple chronological record. There are chapters on the history of silence and the history of light, the history of childhood and the history of suicide, the history of Cockney speech and the history of drink. London is perhaps the most important study of the city ever written, and confirms Ackroyd's status as what one critic has called 'our age's greatest London imagination.'. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.