London: A Social and Cultural History, 1550-1750

Introduction: London's importance; 1. London in 1550; 2. The socioeconomic base; 3. Royal and civic London; 4. Fine and performing arts; 5. The public sphere and popular culture; 6. The people on the margins; 7. Riot and rebellion; 8. Plague and fire; Conclusion: London in 1750.

Robert O. Bucholz is Professor of History at Loyola University, Chicago. He is the co-author (with Newton Key) of Early-Modern England, 1485-1714: A Narrative History (2nd edition, 2009) and Sources and Debates in English History, 1485-1714 (2nd edition, 2009) and the co-editor (with Carol Levin) of Queens and Power in Medieval and Early Modern England (2009). Joseph P. Ward is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at the University of Mississippi. He is the author of Metropolitan Communities: Trade Guilds, Identity, and Change in Early Modern London (1997) and he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2000.

'[London is] a serious and remarkably successful attempt to describe how the city reached the cusp of 'modernity', how it emerged from relative obscurity in the middle of the sixteenth century to become, about 200 years later, 'the greatest city in Europe', with a population whose distinctive traits are recognizable to this day.' Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post 'A good deal of erudition lightly conveyed.' Prospect Magazine 'As an account of how and why London is London, this is the best book to come along in a generation.' British Heritage '... intriguing ...' Times Higher Education Supplement 'How this place became a real world city is the underlying story at the heart of [this book] ... England and London in 1550 were slightly peripheral places, and certainly in the shadow of some of the true great cities of Europe and beyond. By 1750, however, London had been transformed into a place of innovation, wealth, power and progress, and England was well on the path to becoming a nation that was to shape much of the history of the world over the next two centuries. The story is also deeply human and very colourful ... I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book ...' Nicholas Walton, New Books Network (newbooksnetwork.com) 'A good read and makes me want to wander the streets of London even more.' Church Times 'In this attractive and engaging book, Robert Bucholz and Joe Ward set out to offer a history of early modern London - something we currently lack ... this is a London that will serve students well, and should attract a wider readership.' Patrick Wallis, The London Journal