Richly illustrated guide, with a comprehensive look at the latest in the historic and contemporary architecture of London, including historic buildings, streetscapes, art and sculpture, gardens and public landscapes, cultural spaces and contemporary, and designer outlets -Will appeal to the tourism market, architecture buffs, foodies, fashionistas, urban aesthetes, art aficionados, armchair travelers -Showcases a variety of projects that will hold wide-ranging appeal, including designer fashion ateliers, sumptuous interiors of boutique hotels, innovative art studios, galleries, as well as unique retail outlets, cosmopolitan foodie hotspots, from trendy cafes to high-end restaurants -A wonderful companion to IMAGES' Secrets series titles, Paris Secrets, Rome Secrets, and the forthcoming Melbourne Secrets London Secrets unlocks the city's most fascinating secrets. Janelle McCulloch strips away bricks, mortar and tarmac to uncover parts of the capital that even born and bred Londoners may never have seen. In the shadow of the Gherkin, Cheesegrater and Walkie-Talkie skyscrapers are medieval churches, crypts and the curios of Postman's Park - proof that altruism can exist in the Square Mile. In St James's, a stone's throw from the glitz and glamour of Soho are hidden squares and shops dating from a gentler age - purveyors of fine wine, gentleman's apparel and bowler hats. The cobbled mews of Marylebone and Hampstead Village reveal unexpected treasures, rarely seen interiors and a rural idyll amid the urban hum. While the esoteric collections at the Horniman, Sir John Soane's Museum and exotica of Leighton House make you feel you are in an entirely different country altogether. The author reveals the traditions and quirks that have survived to this day, from the freedom of the City of London allowing you to herd sheep through the town, to the "market ouvert" of Bermondsey Market, original home of the London wheeler-dealer. Lavishly photographed and researched, London Secrets will shed a whole new light on this most vibrant - and surprising - of cities.
