Restoration London

I am a huge fan of London. That says a lot and it says nothing. There are many Londons and each has its fans and detractors. Many hate the sprawling beast it has become. Once you travel there you realize that if you say the City of London, that is just the square mile and what is called London is much bigger and swallows up so many other place names that are familiar and some that are unfamiliar to outsiders like me. Then there are the historical Londons. Since Roman times, there have been many changes and this book describes life in and around London in the decade from 1660 to 1670. It is called the Restoration simply because after Cromwell died, the monarchy was Restored and Charles II became King in 1660 and crowned in Westminster in April 1661. By some creative legal maneuvers he was also made King since his father was murdered in 1649. This is a very delightful read. The author is a lawyer and lays out her material quite methodically, but in vivid language. Well, maybe it was vivid to me because I am so interested in the material. There are seventeen chapters laid out in unequal but sensible parts. First she gives us a tour of "The Urban Environment" in five chapters: London, The Houses, Interiors, Gardens and such, and Communications. The second part talks about "The Human Condition" in five more chapters: Medicine and Dentistry [quite frightening - CSM], Clothes - Jewellery - Cosmetics - Hairdressing - Washing & so on, Housework & Laundry, Cooking - Meals & Drink, and Sex. Part Three takes on "The Social Context" in five chapters: The Household, Education - Literacy & Speech, Hobbies - Excursions - Family Occasions & Etiquette, Acts in the Law, and Money - Poverty & Class. Part Four is "Horizons" in two chapters: Religion & Popular Belief, and The World Picture. As I said, the book is full of interesting facts and notions. I learned quite a bit about the London of that time. It remains fascinating because of the return of monarchy, yet there is the ascension of Parliament that became complete with the Glorious Revolution in 1688-89 with the ouster of James II and the invitation of William of Orange and Mary to the throne (Mary was the daughter of James II, but a Protestant). It was a time of great change and the Great Fire of 1666 necessitated that a lot be built anew and also built new. Though how much it was built along the old roads and property lines is quite fascinating as well. London has changed a great deal in the lifetimes of those still living and many reject the present in favor of the nostalgia of the youth. Yet, one cannot go back anymore than people could pretend the Great Fire never happened. Even so, much of the past is still viewable, and some traditions continue into the present even if a great deal has changed even in the past thirty years. London has a sense of the eternal, but also of a constant change that allows her to cope with its vast energy and the confluence of so many past

liza picard is a lawyer,and,out of pure fascination with the topic of historical london,started research on phases gone by,pouring the results into several books,among them,this,about the restoration era.i read an excerpt of samuel pepys' diary 25 years ago,and am generally interested in history.and still,picard more than succeeds in amazing me,page by page.in anecdotes and descriptions,the author makes london resurrect as it was then,you see the people,their clothes,behaviour,you hear them speak,you jump aside as a hackney coach threatens to roll over you,sit down to dinner,wondering what is being served,and,most of all,you smell the time.it is for the newcomer to this era,as well as readers with knowledge thereof already.i am looking forward to her other books.

While it's obvious that Ms. Picard, as she herself is careful to explain, is not a historian, she has accomplished something quite professional in this book. "Restoration London" aims at the social aspect of the times, and dives into the details of everyday life that really tell us what it was like to be there. What did people clean their teeth with? What chances did you have of surviving surgery? What happened to people too old to work? What expressions and words appeared in everyday speech around that time? Ms. Picard tells us all this, and more. The book is entertaining and written in a sort of smartly ironical style - but it's also serious, and you can see that a lot of research has gone into it. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

Liza Picard's recently published book, "Restoration London: Engaging Anecdotes and Tantalizing Trivia from the Most Magnificent and Renowned City of Europe" (Post Road Press, 2000) is every bit as entertaining and informative as her last book, "Restoration London: From Poverty to Pets, From Medicine to Magic, From Slang to Sex, From Wallpaper to Women's Rights" (St. Martin's Press, 1998). In fact, it _is_ her last book, in soft-cover and with a new subtitle. This is one of the best books of its kind and a model of what a popular history of social life should be. Liza Picard focuses tightly on her subject and period (London from 1660 to 1670), and the result is that no factoid is too trivial for inclusion. Relying mainly on the diaries of Samuel Pepys with additional material from other contemporary sources, Picard illuminates the unconscious assumptions, strange beliefs, and curious daily habits of people who can seem as alien as if they lived on another planet, and yet are undeniably human. The book is well organized, well indexed, and admirably endnoted, but don't mistake this for a dry, scholarly tome. Picard's style is gracefully informal, sometimes tart but never judgmental. It is clear that she bears a strong, if bemused, affection for the people of a harsh and wonderful era.The soft-cover edition is trade sized, only slightly smaller than the hard-cover, with hideous cover art. The type is dark and surprisingly crisp considering the roughness of the paper, which is sadly thin and shows through. The hard-cover is more attractive as a physical object and benefits from a dust jacket featuring a charming 17th century still life which perfectly illustrates the book's theme.

I am a published novelist completing a trilogy set in 17th century London and when I first heard of this book, I said, looking at my groaning six foot bookcase which contains only English history, "No, I do not need this book! Heaven help me if I buy another social history book!" I was so wrong. Nothing is better to understand daily 17th century life. I am almost finished my second reading. She writes with the wit and energy and wry humor of the period. Bravo!