With Wings Like Eagles (Michael Korda, 2009).A British archaeologist and historian provides a comprehensive yet succinct overview of English history. A Traveller's History of England (Christopher Daniell, revised 2005).Bradley presents a treasure trove of history about London's iconic gateway to Europe. St Pancras Station (Simon Bradley, 2007).In this irreverent and delightful memoir, US expat Bryson writes about his travels through Britain - his home for two decades. Notes from a Small Island (Bill Bryson, 1995).A London clockmaker solves the problem of keeping time aboard a ship - a timely read for visitors to Greenwich. The author uses an imaginative biographical approach to tell London's story. London: The Biography (Peter Ackroyd, 2001).The New Yorker's former London correspondent captures life in the city in the early 1990s. Letters from London (Julian Barnes, 1995).This superb, three-volume biography recounts the amazing life of Winston Churchill from 1874 to 1965. The Last Lion (William Manchester, final book completed by Paul Reid 1983, 1988, and 2012).Two thousand years of city history is laid out over 1,000 pages. A History of London (Stephen Inwood, 1998).Hornby's memoir illuminates the British obsession with soccer. The author re-creates 16th-century life in the era of England's first great queen. Elizabeth's London (Liza Picard, 2005).In the sequel, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, the writer travels to London. Correspondence between a proper London bookseller and an outspoken New York writer turns into a trans-Atlantic friendship (also a 1987 movie with Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft).

84, Charing Cross Road (Helene Hanff, 1970).

(And see our similar lists for elsewhere in Europe.) Books: Nonfiction To learn more about London past and present, check out a few of these books and films.

1995 nick hornby novel