Illuminating and so so interesting.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

What a fascinating and informative read! I learned so much about London. It's amazing stuff you'll find packed in this book! I felt like I personally went on a sight-seeing tour. It was explained well, includes photos -- yes, I felt like I was practically there. At the very least, I have so many "fun facts" about London to pester my family and friends with (ha ha!). Some very obscure hidden gems are included. So much fascinating history to be found in this volume. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone with an interest in England at all, travel, etc. Perfectly gift-worthy!!

This book gives the reader a fascinating look into the more obscure sites, quirky sights, and forgotten relics dotted across one of the world’s most (in)famous cities.
The book manages to be genuinely interesting and I got a real sense of the author’s delight in revealing the obscure histories of about places, buildings, and objects that thousands of people pass by each day.
Comprising of short, snappy entries grouped into themed chapters, Wade manages to incorporate urban myths, local legends, and actual history and facts. The numerous images really help to bring this book to life. The format of the book makes it easy to dip in and out of although a map would have been a useful addition for those who are not familiar with the city and its surroundings.
This was a really enjoyable read and would definitely be useful to plan a more off-beat visit to London. I would love to see more like this about other cities from this author.

As a frequent traveler to London, it can be overwhelming to decide what to do or see next due to the sheer number of possibilities. Once the main tourist sites have been checked off the list, it’s nice to take some time to visit some of the more obscure and unheralded sites that most people aren’t even aware of. This book points out many such sites, as well as the stories behind them. We learn, for instance, that the random noses poking out of the sides of building around the city aren’t unflattering digs at Napoleon’s large nose, but a more recent modern art statement. The book also has photos and clear descriptions as to where the various curiosities can be found. I am making a list of the ones I want to visit on future trips! This book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in city travel or history.

A nice guide book into some of London's odd, obscure, weird and wonderful locations.... I knew quite a few but there were some other locations quite new.

Are you planning a vacation to London and you don't know what to see apart Buckingham Palace, Saint Paul Cathedral and some other famous locations suggested in a common touristic guide?

Don't desperate: bring with you London Curiosities The Capital’s Odd and Obscure, Weird and Wonderful Places written by John Wade and published by Pen & Sword and once you will return home you will have wagons of pictures to share with your friends, and many interesting anecdotes and places that you will have visited and other tourists, unfortunately...no!

London is one of the most obscure, curious city of the world. Apparently it seems like another European capital but looking better, leaving the surface alone, it's a city hiding a lot of secrets and hidden spots. Being also pretty old (it was a Roman and catholic city in the past) remains are many.

So: if you have available time, if you are curious, and you don't want to lose anything, if you think that common tourism can be boring, start to search for this London plenty of curiosities, histories and facts.

Your friends will be so surprised, because close to the most common pictures taken close to Buckingham Palace you will also live the real London's story. And what a story this city will whisper to you in a fascinating way.

Are you ready for this trip?

OK: there are some remains of a very big, huge post office, the so-called Britain’s General Post Office headquarters. St Martin’s Le Grand the area. It was a so big monument later completely destroyed but you still can find some beautiful remains.

Curious to see where most people fell sick because of cholera in the remote past? Of course, you are!
People in the past didn't imagine that cholera was transmitted via water and so they searched for a miraculous pump in grade to keep them healthy and once discovered it they declared that there wasn't another water as good as this one. The fact was, ahem that they all fell sick thanks to that water and they died.

You will see a replica of the pump located in Broadwick Street in Soho. The original one is in a pub so later, you can stop by there for a beer, and another pic with the original pump.

Have you got nose?

Good, you will want to search for some installation of noses, 35 in total on walls...

If you have some children in love for tanks don't forget to visit the Russian Tank in South London.

Do you want to see the last kilt in London? You will discover it like you can admire the first Metropolitan Drinking Fountain.

If you love houses don't miss the Narrowest one! the oldest, or the littlest police station of the city or the littlest building of the city. Wait, you, wait: smile! Yes: great pic!

Ok, now let's enjoy one of the few medieval building that you can still see: the Winchester Palace Rose Window.

Did you read The Old Curiosity Shop by Dickens? Don't you remember? Yes? Maybe? OK, it's fine there is not a correct answer, relax. The shop realistically exists and you can visit it although it doesn't sell any curiosities or postcards or souvenirs. Sorry.

You will find also a plaque from the Embassy of Texas somewhere, can you believe it?
If you love to visit cemeteries, don't miss the London Necropolis Railway. Singular story for a very important cemetery.

OK, move on now.

You can't lose this visit: the one at the church of St Peter because of the three devils wanted by the architect because of the problems caused by the vicar during the building of the church, eheheh.

Now, let's go in fascinating places for discovering Windmills and also the largest clock of London and then let's search for The Queen of Time, better not upset Her, and well don't forget Greenwich’s 24-Hour Clock and Time Ball.
London's tunnels are important, it's the fifth essence of that city, like also the so-called lost rivers. The one of Fleet Street emblematic. Remember: take pictures. There, lived Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Try to visit parks with special attractions. Don't forget memorials and find the one dedicated at Oscar Wilde. It's impressively beauty! Like the one dedicated to Churchill and Roosevelt.
A visit at the house of Samuel Johnson, lexicographer, writer, poet, the one who wrote A Dictionary of the English Language indispensable like the homage at the statue of his cat sat on the dictionary.

Now: let's try to discover the Mayflower...Pilgrims, Massachusetts, 1621.

The lost locations are fascinating like The Bell Gate Tower, but there are also many Roman remains.

Your snickers are gone I see but you enjoyed this visit.

Oh yes: a great vacation. Hoping in good weather, close to you this book, you won't get lost and you will find a lot of wonderful and uncommon places to visit!


I thank Pen and Sword and NetGalley for this eBook.

Gathered quite the list of unusual things to see when I return to London next year - and here's me thinking I'd seen it all!

Loved this! I'm heading to London in just over a week so this was a great read to prep for that. Thanks Netgalley :)

As an ex- Londoner, I love to read factual and fiction works centred around the greatest city in the world. There are many books on the market that deal with the social and political history of London, but the joy of London Curiosities is that it highlights the small details of history that can be seen all around you. For example, for many years I worked next door to the church of St Magnus the Martyr, but never knew its connection to London Bridge and the evidence of that visible in its churchyard. I would recommend this book to Londoners but also to visitors who want to enjoy the little surprises that a walk in London can throw up. A great read!

This is an ARC distributed by Netgalley for review.

I enjoy spending time in London and as a student, I took part in a Dickensian tour of the city. Wade's book of interesting architectural and cultural facts is a fun illustrated companion to the streets of London. This provides a fantastic introduction to the secret spots of a setting that I have come to take for granted and I am now looking at the city with fresh eyes. I shall be buying a hard copy of this for my husband as he loves London and has enjoyed many books and documentaries - he will certainly be pleased to add this to his collection.

An accessible and engaging read for fans of Ackroyd's London.

Love London? This is for you. Love excentric facts? This is for you as well. I know London but there is so much to know about certain things that I am starting to think I know nothing (Jon snow… pun intended).

I loved every inch of this book, and now when i walk in London I will have to search for these facts.

Great book for a great read from John Wade.

This is what I call a coffee table book. One that you read at the start but then keep going back to refer to snippets and rediscover the information. Since I read this I immediately put an order in for myself and for two of my family that live in London and am keenly awaiting the publication date to pass so that these books are sent out.
From the first page the information is amazing – I lived in London for three years and had no idea about so many of the things that I sometimes saw and did not know the background and there are loads of pieces of information here that I never knew even existed and people walk by and never see them. A silly example of noses sticking out of structures, especially Admiralty Arch and walking through and not seeing it. So many things have been described that I know I have walked passed and never noticed. This book is a pure goldmine of fantastic information and I loved it from start to finish. Any visitor to London should be advised to get a copy beforehand so that they can go hunting for the more obscure landmarks and experience real history. As I read this book I kept telling my husband lots of titbits of information just to ask him – “Did you know that?” It is a fun book and I highly recommend it to anyone who visits the capital.

I have to be honest I love this kind of books and I live in London. I also write for a London blogs and I always look for inspiration for new places to visit and recommend.
As I have read several similar books and I own lots of compendium(s) (should it be compendia?) I knew lots of the places in this book but I have found many things here that I did not know about. Strangely enough I took a pictures of those sculptures in Bond Street in the Time & Life building and never realised they were by Henry Moore. Yes I knew about the wedding cake church (which I visited again last month) and many other things but did not know about the Cornhill Devils!

It is hard to review a niche book like this but I did enjoy it a lot, found it interesting and when it is published I will promote it from my London blog. External links to reviews will follow.

From Roman Remains to the original London Bridge all the way into the 20th century, John Wade has collected more than a hundred structures around London's 600 square miles that curious visitors might find interesting.

I love London, but always feel that there's so much about it that I don't know. This book is an absolute gem for people like me who know London reasonably well, but want to know more about the quirks and the less obvious but fascinating things that the city has to offer.

The book covers a range of topics, from unusual clocks, tunnels, parks, strange houses, forgotten memorials and gateways that now lead nowhere. There's also really interesting bits on where you can spot evidence of Roman London, Egyptian influences and buildings that feature pineapples (a lot more than you would expect!)
It's all helpfully sub-divided so you can read about one thing at a time. It also has loads of interesting pictures, so you can often see exactly what the author means - excellent for the armchair traveller as well as those of us who want to get walking round the city's streets to spot things for ourselves. There is a helpful list of postcodes at the back should you feel inspired to visit anything you read about.

I'd recommend this to anyone who is interested in London's history, especially those who want to explore the curious and quirky elements still visible on the streets today.

I'm one of those people who love the old stuff. Buildings, furniture, and monuments. This book was perfect for me. There were enough pictures to make me happy, although I'll bet they'll be so much better in a real book, and not the e-book! Loved the background information. Yep, I'd recommend this book. My thanks go out to Netgalley and the publisher Pen & Sword for providing me with a copy for review.

I’m one of those nosy people who love to know what every building they see houses, why it was built, and what happened on that spot hundreds of years ago. This book was perfect for me. What is that round church like building in King Edward VII Memorial Park? Or what is that immensely ornate building really used for? What’s the truth about the Camden Catacombs? Why are there so many Egyptian monuments in London? Why are pineapples used to decorate bridges, cathedrals, and railings? All of these questions are answered. Some of the answers are surprisingly complex.
It’s arranged into 14 chapters each made up of many smaller sections. Wade included many interesting pictures. The only thing it needed to be perfect was a map.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley and Pen & Sword Books. No review was required, but it was my pleasure to write it.

This is a book about curiosities in and around London. It gives nice little tales of things you might not notice but will now if you are around London and even better if you live in London, also with nice pictures so you can know what to look for or what the book is telling you about. For me I find it a coffee table pick up and read a little and put down but enjoyed learning all about things we don't often notice.

Interesting idea, but many of the curiosities are just not very curious.

This was a nice read, though there were many times I wanted more detail than it provided. Its biggest issue is that it assumes the reader has complete familiarity with London, especially regarding the locations of various neighborhoods.