Londoners

December 28, 2012

20121228-082913.jpg This book, Londoners, was a hit this season at the shops. Each time a copy was brought up to the wrap stand, I thought to myself how I needed to grab a copy and bring it out to the beach this week. I was lucky and nabbed one of the last copies–more are on the way though, and the stacks will be replenished. Long before I was a Francophile, I was an Anglophile. Partly because of my heritage, but partly because I have long had a love affair with London. From my early days watching every moment of Wimbledon when I was a kid, to the semester in college I spent as a foreign study student there, to the many vintage buying trips we have made–London is a city that holds a very special place in my heart. This book, composed of 80 some interviews as told to author Craig Taylor, gives the reader glimpses into many, many variations & takes on London. Taylor has crafted a book that is easy to read at various sittings, while the British sense of humor makes it tough to put down. Over the course of 5 years, he interviewed folks and composed the interviews in a way that makes you feel like you are sitting among the 2 when they are chatting. The reader gets perspectives from all walks of life–from the woman who is the ‘voice’ of the London Underground, to the airline pilot who flies into Heathrow & Gatwick, to the beekeeper, artist, squatter, teacher, chef and street cleaner–you will feel an intimacy with the city as you read on and on. A visual, through thoughtful words, ode to the great city that is London.