London: A History is a rather short book, considering the subject. Very brief chapters touch on Roman and Norman London, the London of Chaucer, the Tudors, the Stewarts and so on through Victorian, the World Wars and the modern day. If you are looking for a collection of interesting anecdotes, then this is the book for you. If you want a comprehensive history text, try something else.

The Book of Beasts is a illustrated abridgment of a short story by the classic children's book author E. Nesbit. Inga Moore has done a lovely job with her text decisions and her illustrations. I wish I had done them.