West Ham, Clifford shows, was beset by intersecting social, administrative, technical, and environmental problems, and their consequences were felt quite unequally … Such nuance and detail is perhaps this book's major contribution. - William M. Calvert, The University of St. Thomas (Environmental History) Clifford draws welcome attention to part of Greater London frequently neglected in historical scholarship due to its proximity to London yet independent status … West Ham and the River Lea provides a view of the social and environmental impacts of West Ham's industrialization with an emphasis on the sanitary experiences of people living in the borough during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. - Nicola Tynan, Dickinson College (London Journal)