THE MINI ROUGH GUIDE to LONDON (Rough Guide Travel Guides) - Softcover

Humphreys, Rob; Rough Guides

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1858287758 ISBN 13: 9781858287751

Publisher: Rough Guides, 2000

Synopsis

The little brother of the successfully established Rough Guide to London. Its geographical scope is as wide as the main guide but is more selective about the sights and attractions covered. For instance the chapter on South East London in the mainguide is pared down to Greenwich and the Millennium Dome in this Mini. Similarly the listings section is effectively a 'best-of' the main guide; over 250 restaurant recommendations have been whittled down to around 50.

About this title

Review

The Rough Guide to London must have represented a considerable challenge for author Rob Humphreys: not only is the library of guide books to the capital overstuffed, Humphreys was faced with creating the definitive insider's guide for an imprint which has long enjoyed very high expectations in its dedicated army of users. The Rough Guide series has always marked itself out as the most incisive, lively, hyper-informed and (most of all) unstuffy series of guides on the market. Previous editions of this pithy and highly accessible book have comprehensively established its credentials, and they're copper-bottomed. Whether you're looking for a truly idiosyncratic guide to the more esoteric byways of the Big Smoke (with particularly useful and offbeat sections on the performing arts and sport) or a straight-down-the-middle guide to all the standard tourist attractions, Humphreys' book pulls off the impressive conjuring trick of functioning on both levels. While the guide is perfectly judged for the reader living on the British mainland, there are useful sections on getting to London from North America, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, with up-to-date info on visas, customs, tax and work permits (the latter will be particularly useful for students: always a key audience for the Rough Guide series). And the sections on the more boring necessities such as insurance, post and health are dispatched with economy and accuracy. But it's in conveying the city's rich topography and history that Humphreys really soars, and a casual glance at the sections on Fleet Street, the South Bank and trendy areas such as Clerkenwell will have both die-hard Londoners and visitors keen to track down the points he ticks off. As ever in the series, illustrations and colour are kicked out in favour of hard-core info, and even if you've picked up earlier editions, the ever-shifting flux of one of the world's greatest cities has ensured that you probably need this new, comprehensively updated volume. --Barry Forshaw

Review

Clear and comprehensive...compulsive reading...jam-packed with information. -- The Express, London, UK

Impressive research on architecture and history, and thorough coverage of the capital's attractions. -- People Magazine, USA

Edition details

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1858287758
• ISBN 13: 9781858287751
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 400