''London'' is a historical novel by

Edward Rutherfurd Edward Rutherfurd is a pen name for Francis Edward Wintle (born in 1948). He is best known as a writer of epic historical novels that span long periods of history but are set in particular places. His debut novel, '' Sarum'', set the pattern f ...

published in 1997, which charts the history of London from 54 B.C. to 1997. The novel begins with the birth of the River

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

and moves to 54 B.C., detailing the life of Segovax, a curious character with slightly webbed hands and a flash of white hair. Segovax becomes the ancestor of the Ducket and Dogget families, prominent fictional families woven into the novel. Historical figures, such as

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry VIII,

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, and

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

, make appearances alongside fictional characters and historical kings and queens of England.

Reception

:''" de range of characters that the readers will either love or hate... all manner of people with all kinds of backgrounds... Rutherfurd is adept at showing how all classes throughout history, from slaves to kings, have contributed to London's development"''. Also the Virginia Pilot said of the novel: :''"With confidence and skill, Rutherfurd has separated those layers and produced a remarkable story of a great city. Once or twice the social, political and economic factors overshadow the fictional families, but that is almost inevitable when even the best fiction comes up against such an impressive spectrum of historical fact."''.

Publication details

*1997, UK, Century (), May 1997, hardback (First edition) *1997, USA, Crown Pub (), June 1997, hardback *1997, UK, Century (), 1997, paperback *1998, USA, Fawcett Books (), 30 April 1998, paperback *1998, UK, Arrow Books (), 7 May 1998, paperback *2002, USA, Ballantine Books (), 1 November 2002, paperback

Footnotes

References

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External links

The first chapter at New York Times Books
1997 British novels Novels by Edward Rutherfurd Historical novels Novels set in London History of London Century (imprint) books {{1990s-hist-novel-stub