Wayland Books ISBN 9780750297691 £12.99
This latest addition to the ‘History Detective’ series focuses on the history of London. The book covers important events or periods in the story of London, from its foundation by the Romans right up to the present day. Each spread contains text, images, extracts from a relevant primary source, as well as suggestions for further study via relevant websites. The book concludes with ideas on how to research and present a project based on the text. This book might make a useful starting point for a local history study, [a compulsory part of both KS2 and KS3 history curriculum,] of London either exploring one of the topics in more detail or the history of London itself. An interesting choice of topics ranging from Edward the Confessor via Dick Whittington to the migrants arriving on the Empire Windrush in 1948 gives lots of scope. Rather text heavy, this is probably most appropriate for Upper Key Stage 2 or Lower Key Stage 3, or perhaps as a teacher reference book to provide stimulation and a starting point for developing a scheme of work on the city of London through the ages.
Alf Wilkinson, The Historical Association
