London is a historical novel by Edward Rutherfurd published in 1997, which charts the history of London from 54 B.C. to 1997. The novel begins with the birth of the River Thames and moves to 54 B.C., detailing the life of Segovax, a curious character with slightly webbed hands and a flash of white hair. Segovax becomes the ancestor of the Ducket and Dogget families, prominent fictional families woven into the novel.
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Edward Rutherfurd |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Century Hutchinson |
Publication date | May 1997 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 829 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-7126-5419-7 (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC | 36915944 |
Historical figures, such as Julius Caesar, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, and Pocahontas, make appearances alongside fictional characters and historical kings and queens of England.
Reception edit
- "[W]ide range of characters that the readers will either love or hate... all manner of people with all kinds of backgrounds... Rutherfurd is adept at showing how all classes throughout history, from slaves to kings, have contributed to London's development".[1]
Also the Virginia Pilot said of the novel:
- "With confidence and skill, Rutherfurd has separated those layers and produced a remarkable story of a great city. Once or twice the social, political and economic factors overshadow the fictional families, but that is almost inevitable when even the best fiction comes up against such an impressive spectrum of historical fact.".[2]
Publication details edit
- 1997, UK, Century (ISBN 978-0-7126-5419-7), May 1997, hardback (First edition)
- 1997, USA, Crown Pub (ISBN 978-0517591819), June 1997, hardback
- 1997, UK, Century (ISBN 978-0712678384), 1997, paperback
- 1998, USA, Fawcett Books (ISBN 978-0449002636), 30 April 1998, paperback
- 1998, UK, Arrow Books (ISBN 978-0099201915), 7 May 1998, paperback
- 2002, USA, Ballantine Books (ISBN 978-0345455680), 1 November 2002, paperback
Footnotes edit
- ^ Johnson, Karyn. "Book Review - London The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd". BellaOnline. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ^ Spigel, Barbara. "``London`` A Remarkable Tale of a Great City". University Libraries, Virginia Tech. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
References edit
- Rutherfurd, Edward (May 1997). London (1st ed.). London: Century. ISBN 978-0-7126-5419-7.
- "Edward Rutherfurd books". Edward Rutherfurd official site. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
External links edit
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