LITERCURIOUS BOOK REVIEW
| Title | London Explored: Secret, Surprising and Unusual Places to Discover in the Capital |
| Author | Peter Dazeley and Mark Daly |
| Publisher | Frances Lincoln (November 30, 2021) |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Pages | 272 |
| Genre | Monument Photography, Landmarks & Monuments, City Photography |
| Language | English |
| ISBN | 0711240353 / 978-0711240353 |
AUTHORS
Peter Dazeley BEM
Peter is the author of London Explored and several other publications. In 2017, he was awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to photography and charity. He is a life member of the Association of Photographers.
Mark Daly
Mark is the co-author of London Explored; the author of 5 Steps to Board Success and Ten Treasures Strategic Playbook: The Map to Enduring Business Success.
SYNOPSIS
London Explored is a pictorial documentation of some of the diverse, hidden, and historically significant locations around the Capital of England. Peter and Mark cover a broad range of skillfully captured venues; places that include: religious and industrial sites, privately owned historical homes, as well as museums and gallerias. Some of the locations have restricted access and require special permission to enter. The authors include the access times in the accompanying guide located in the margins.
Included in the book are 213 images of the interiors and exteriors of sixty unique, occulted, lesser known London tourist locations. The catalogue includes the secret underground bunker where Churchill would reluctantly wait out the repeated air raids during the Battle for Britain. World War Two locations factor heavily with Biggin Hill being my personal favorite. Other military locations include The Old Royal Navy College, and for those who savor some images of the many Royal Air Force stations, there is the Bentley Priory Museum.
The images are accompanied by written descriptions and anecdotal stories describing the cultural and historical importance of each location. Patrons of the arts and architecture are bound to enjoy the wide variety architectural photographs; be they elitists or mundane.
CONCLUSION
London Explored provides those with enquiring minds a safe, convenient and informative means to explore Great Britains capital city. The metropolis of London is congested with tourist sites, and the major attractions are often over-subscribed. London Explored provides a large selection of alternative locations for prospective visitors. With this coffee-table book, the reader can explore the city in the comfort of their own armchair.
What sets London Explored apart from other works of its ilk, is the unique sites the author’s chose to include. Many of the most popular London tourist attractions are either historically important or elitist. It was an inspired choice to take the reader on trails less travelled but every bit as interesting and potentially more important from a cultural perspective.
The photography is faultless, and the accompanying accreditations and additional information provide an important context.
I suggest that if you want to know a little bit more about the hidden life of London, consider taking a look at my London A-Z review; where I take an irreverent look at my time spent there and some, not so well-known facts of the highways and byways of good old London Town.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Peter Dazeley BEM, Mark Daly, Frances Lincoln, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review London Explored: Secret, Surprising and Unusual Places to Discover in the Capital.
