Bizarre London

A writer and journalist for nearly 30 years, David Long is the author of more than a dozen books, mostly on London and with titles reflecting an unquenchable thirst for the quirkier, lesser known aspects of its long history, continually changing streetscape and often eccentric inhabitants.

Here’s yet another book revealing the capital’s ‘secrets’ and ‘surprises’. But it would be churlish to discount this new compendium of unusual London tales... David Long’s an old-hand at putting books like this together, and he always digs up exquisite truffles to go with the hoary turnips.The format flits whimsically between novelty lists (“London’s weirdest wills”, “London’s maddest buildings never built”, “London cabbie slang”…), and mini-essays wriggling with anecdote (“Why are London buses red?”, “London’s famous motoring firsts”…).In a market niche that’s now as crowded as the 18:22 to Reading, Bizarre London pummels its bantamweight rivals with knockout clouts of trivia that even this weary correspondent hadn’t encountered before.