Benn's London

A photo essay on London's culture, leisure, shopping, architecture, rural areas and the river. The book includes images of public landmarks -- Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace -- and of hidden corners closed to all but a few locals -- a Buddhist temple in Wimbledon, the Farringdon gathering place of England's oldest debating society, a management meeting at Lloyd's. Oliver Benn provides glimpses of grand historic interiors and creative hideaways. Celebrating the city's multicultural energy, he highlights London's famous street life, including markets at Brixton and Camden Lock. These neighbourhood centres contrast with the fashionable shopping arcades and department stores -- Harrods, Simpsons, Liberty -- which attract an international clientele. Benn shows the reader what makes London London: sedate art auctions, relaxed riverside living, fast-paced international trading in the City, traditional and innovative concert and theatre venues. Andrew Eames's text provides historical anecdotes woven together with telling observations about how the city works today.