'When a man is bored of London...' then he is certainly bored of hearing that Samuel Johnson quote. For much more original and interesting words about our capital city (and home, since 1797...), look no further than our selection of London history, fiction, memoir and the odd unclassifiable masterpiece - a term which could also be applied to the city itself.

Bestselling London History

See All
Londoners by Craig Taylor
Londoners
Craig Taylor
£10.99
A Short History of London by Simon Jenkins
A Short History of London
Simon Jenkins
£12.99
London by Peter Ackroyd
London
Peter Ackroyd
£20.00
Why Do Shepherds Need a Bush? by David Hilliam
Why Do Shepherds Need a Bush?
David Hilliam
£12.99
London's Strangest Tales by Tom Quinn
London's Strangest Tales
Tom Quinn
£12.99
Gin Glorious Gin by Olivia Williams
Gin Glorious Gin
Olivia Williams
£10.99
Debutantes and the London Season by Lucinda Gosling
Debutantes and the London Season
Lucinda Gosling
£8.99
London: the Autobiography by Jon E. Lewis
London: the Autobiography
Jon E. Lewis
£12.99
A History of London in 50 Lives by David Long
A History of London in 50 Lives
David Long
£10.99
London 1870-1914 by Andrew Saint
London 1870-1914
Andrew Saint
£35.00
Underworld London by Catharine Arnold
Underworld London
Catharine Arnold
£10.99
London Under by Peter Ackroyd
London Under
Peter Ackroyd
£12.99
London by Philip Davies
London
Philip Davies
£50.00
The Man Who Drew London by Gillian Tindall
The Man Who Drew London
Gillian Tindall
£16.99
London at War by Alan Jeffreys
London at War
Alan Jeffreys
£25.00
London Lore by Steve Roud
London Lore
Steve Roud
£14.99
The House By The Thames by Gillian Tindall
The House By The Thames
Gillian Tindall
£12.99
The Secret Life of the Savoy by Olivia Williams
The Secret Life of the Savoy
Olivia Williams
£12.99
London War Notes by Mollie Panter-Downes
London War Notes
Mollie Panter-Downes
£17.00
London At War by Stephen Halliday
London At War
Stephen Halliday
£9.99

General London History

See More
London by Peter Ackroyd
London
Peter Ackroyd
£20.00
A Short History of London by Simon Jenkins
A Short History of London
Simon Jenkins
£12.99
Square Haunting by Francesca Wade
Square Haunting
Francesca Wade
£10.99
London Lore by Steve Roud
London Lore
Steve Roud
£14.99
London Made Us by Robert Elms
London Made Us
Robert Elms
£10.99
Queer City by Peter Ackroyd
Queer City
Peter Ackroyd
£12.99
London's Strangest Tales by Tom Quinn
London's Strangest Tales
Tom Quinn
£12.99
Viking London by Thomas Williams
Viking London
Thomas Williams
£8.99
London Under by Peter Ackroyd
London Under
Peter Ackroyd
£12.99
Thames Mudlarking by Jason Sandy
Thames Mudlarking
Jason Sandy
£9.99
London by Cathy Ross
London
Cathy Ross
£29.95
Nightwalking by Matthew Beaumont
Nightwalking
Matthew Beaumont
£11.99
Charles Booth’s London Poverty Maps by Mary S. Morgan
Charles Booth’s London Poverty Maps
Mary S. Morgan
£49.95
London by Dr Matthew Green
London
Dr Matthew Green
£12.99
Gin Glorious Gin by Olivia Williams
Gin Glorious Gin
Olivia Williams
£10.99
Georgian London by Lucy Inglis
Georgian London
Lucy Inglis
£14.99
Soho in the Eighties by Christopher Howse
Soho in the Eighties
Christopher Howse
£20.00
St Pancras Station Through Time by John Christopher
St Pancras Station Through Time
John Christopher
£15.99

Hatchards Recommends

  • London by Paul Knox
    London
    Paul Knox
    £25.00
    A lively new history of London told through twenty-five buildings, from iconic Georgian townhouses to the Shard   A walk... See more
    A lively new history of London told through twenty-five buildings, from iconic Georgian townhouses to the Shard   A walk along any London street takes you past a wealth of seemingly ordinary... See more
  • Liberty over London Bridge by Margaret Willes
    Liberty over London Bridge
    Margaret Willes
    £20.00
    The first complete history of Southwark, London’s stubbornly independent community over the Thames See more
    The first complete history of Southwark, London’s stubbornly independent community over the Thames See more
  • House London by Ellie Stathaki
    House London
    Ellie Stathaki
    £35.00
    Curated by some of the leading designers, architects and creatives of our day, this sumptuous volume showcases 50 exciti... See more
    Curated by some of the leading designers, architects and creatives of our day, this sumptuous volume showcases 50 exciting contemporary interiors from around the capital. See more
  • London Clay by Tom Chivers
    London Clay
    Tom Chivers
    £10.99
    'A lyrical meditation on landscapes and cities, vivid reportage and a memoir. And also a beautifully realised and moving... See more
    'A lyrical meditation on landscapes and cities, vivid reportage and a memoir. And also a beautifully realised and moving read.' Financial Times'A beguiling mix of history, geology, folklore ... See more
  • Mudlark'd by Malcolm Russell
    Mudlark'd
    Malcolm Russell
    £25.00
    Perfect reading for all fans of Lara Maiklem's Mudlarking, Russell's sumptuous volume is a fully illustrated guide to 20... See more
    Perfect reading for all fans of Lara Maiklem's Mudlarking, Russell's sumptuous volume is a fully illustrated guide to 200 objects discovered on the Thames foreshore and the remarkable storie... See more

The Modern City

See More
Londoners by Craig Taylor
Londoners
Craig Taylor
£10.99
This is London by Ben Judah
This is London
Ben Judah
£10.99
At the Pond by Margaret Drabble
At the Pond
Margaret Drabble
£9.99
London Orbital by Iain Sinclair
London Orbital
Iain Sinclair
£12.99
Slow Burn City by Rowan Moore
Slow Burn City
Rowan Moore
£10.99
Big Capital by Anna Minton
Big Capital
Anna Minton
£10.99
Walk the Lines by Mark Mason
Walk the Lines
Mark Mason
£10.99
Ghost Milk by Iain Sinclair
Ghost Milk
Iain Sinclair
£16.99

London at War

See More
The London County Council Bomb Damage Maps 1939-1945 by Laurence Ward
The London County Council Bomb Damage Maps 1939-1945
Laurence Ward
£65.00
The Blitz by Juliet Gardiner
The Blitz
Juliet Gardiner
£12.99
Dark City by Simon Read
Dark City
Simon Read
£10.99
Citizens of London by Lynne Olson
Citizens of London
Lynne Olson
£14.99
Zeppelin Nights by Jerry White
Zeppelin Nights
Jerry White
£16.99
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
The Splendid and the Vile
Erik Larson
£12.99
London At War by Philip Ziegler
London At War
Philip Ziegler
£16.99
London at War by Alan Jeffreys
London at War
Alan Jeffreys
£25.00
Wartime London in Paintings by Suzanne Bardgett
Wartime London in Paintings
Suzanne Bardgett
£19.99

An Intimate History of 1930s London

Songs of Seven Dials by Matt Houlbrook

An Intimate History of 1930s London

Songs of Seven Dials
Matt Houlbrook
£20.00
Centring on a 1927 libel trial, this book tells the story of the cosmopolitan London neighbourhood of Seven Dials and it... See more
Centring on a 1927 libel trial, this book tells the story of the cosmopolitan London neighbourhood of Seven Dials and its battles with racism and gentrification throughout the 1920s and 1930... See more

Classic London Fiction

See More
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
The End of the Affair
Graham Greene
£9.99
Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton
Hangover Square
Patrick Hamilton
£10.99
Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald
Offshore
Penelope Fitzgerald
£8.99
A Far Cry From Kensington by Muriel Spark
A Far Cry From Kensington
Muriel Spark
£9.99
Under The Net (Vintage Classics Murdoch Series) by Iris Murdoch
Under The Net (Vintage Classics Murdoch Series)
Iris Murdoch
£10.99
The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen
The Heat of the Day
Elizabeth Bowen
£9.99
Mrs Dalloway (Vintage Classics Woolf Series) by Virginia Woolf
Mrs Dalloway (Vintage Classics Woolf Series)
Virginia Woolf
£8.99
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon
The Lonely Londoners
Sam Selvon
£9.99
Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes
Absolute Beginners
Colin MacInnes
£8.99
The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark
The Ballad of Peckham Rye
Muriel Spark
£9.99
London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins
London Belongs to Me
Norman Collins
£10.99
Murphy by Samuel Beckett
Murphy
Samuel Beckett
£9.99
Up The Junction by Nell Dunn
Up The Junction
Nell Dunn
£9.99
A Dead Man in Deptford by Anthony Burgess
A Dead Man in Deptford
Anthony Burgess
£9.99
New Grub Street by George Gissing
New Grub Street
George Gissing
£10.99
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
Vile Bodies
Evelyn Waugh
£9.99
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens
£7.99
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
£8.99
At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie
At Bertram’s Hotel
Agatha Christie
£9.99
The Tiger In The Smoke by Margery Allingham
The Tiger In The Smoke
Margery Allingham
£9.99

Contemporary Fiction Set in London

See More
Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan
Caledonian Road
Andrew O'Hagan
£9.99
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
The Line of Beauty
Alan Hollinghurst
£9.99
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
White Teeth
Zadie Smith
£9.99
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
The Buddha of Suburbia
Hanif Kureishi
£9.99
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Brick Lane
Monica Ali
£9.99
London Fields by Martin Amis
London Fields
Martin Amis
£10.99
Putney by Sofka Zinovieff
Putney
Sofka Zinovieff
£12.99
Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd
Ordinary Thunderstorms
William Boyd
£9.99
Saturday by Ian McEwan
Saturday
Ian McEwan
£9.99
The London Train by Tessa Hadley
The London Train
Tessa Hadley
£9.99
Spring by David Szalay
Spring
David Szalay
£9.99
Armadillo by William Boyd
Armadillo
William Boyd
£9.99

London for Children

See More
Katie In London by James Mayhew
Katie In London
James Mayhew
£7.99
Gruesome Guides: London by Terry Deary
Gruesome Guides: London
Terry Deary
£6.99
Look Inside London by Jonathan Melmoth
Look Inside London
Jonathan Melmoth
£9.99
My First Book of London by Charlotte Guillain
My First Book of London
Charlotte Guillain
£8.99
My Little Cities: London by Jennifer Adams
My Little Cities: London
Jennifer Adams
£6.99
Dodger's Guide to London by Terry Pratchett
Dodger's Guide to London
Terry Pratchett
£12.99
Hopscotch: Histories: Toby and The Great Fire Of London by Margaret Nash
Hopscotch: Histories: Toby and The Great Fire Of London
Margaret Nash
£5.99
Big Picture Book of London by Rob Lloyd Jones
Big Picture Book of London
Rob Lloyd Jones
£12.99
Peppa Pig: Peppa Goes to London by Peppa Pig
Peppa Pig: Peppa Goes to London
Peppa Pig
£7.99
Pop-up London by Fiona Watt
Pop-up London
Fiona Watt
£11.99
The London Noisy Book by Campbell Books
The London Noisy Book
Campbell Books
£14.99
Ladybird London: Sticker Activity by Klara Hawkins
Ladybird London: Sticker Activity
Klara Hawkins
£6.99
London Children's Map by Kourtney Harper
London Children's Map
Kourtney Harper
£2.95
Ladybird London: Search and Find by Klara Hawkins
Ladybird London: Search and Find
Klara Hawkins
£7.99
An Infographic Guide to London by Simon Holland
An Infographic Guide to London
Simon Holland
£7.99
Charlie and Lola: We Completely Must Go to London by
Charlie and Lola: We Completely Must Go to London
 
£7.99
A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino
A Walk in London
Salvatore Rubbino
£8.99
Madeline In London by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline In London
Ludwig Bemelmans
£12.99
The Royal Baby's Big Red Bus Tour of London by Martha Mumford
The Royal Baby's Big Red Bus Tour of London
Martha Mumford
£6.99
All Aboard the London Bus by Patricia Toht
All Aboard the London Bus
Patricia Toht
£7.99