The Strand
A biography
By Geoff Browell and Eileen Chanin
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- Format: Hardcover
- ISBN: 978-1-5261-7911-1
- Pages: 272
- Price: £25.00
- Published Date: February 2025
Description
The first history of one of London's most extraordinary streets.
Running along the Thames's northern shore and spanning three-quarters of a mile from Trafalgar Square to Temple Bar, the Strand has been a witness to London's growth and change from the earliest years of the city's existence.
In The Strand: A biography, Geoff Browell and Eileen Chanin uncover the deep history of this remarkable street. Tracing its origins in the Roman era, they reveal how it grew in importance as authority shifted from church to aristocracy, then to commerce, media and law. Over time, everything that mattered converged on the Strand: tradition and ceremony clashed with rebellion and destitution. By 1910, the street was known as the 'centre of the world'.
Drawing on remarkable archival discoveries, Browell and Chanin present the most complete and compelling history of the Strand ever written. Filled with surprising, untold stories, The Strand: A biography is a must-read for lovers of one of the world's greatest cities.
Contents
Introduction
1 Prehistory
2 Roman Strand: without the walls
3 Saxon Strand: merchants and marauders
4 Medieval Strand: law and lawlessness
5 Civil War Strand: majesty, maypoles and magic
6 Georgian Strand: a box of delights
7 Victorian Strand: empire and spectacle
8 Edwardian Strand: let's all go down the Strand
9 Early twentieth century Strand: depression, politics and war
10 Decline and fall: the Strand since World War Two
11 Twenty-first century Strand: new beginnings
Conclusion
Index
Authors
Geoff Browell is Head of Archives and Research Collections at King's College London. He is also chair of AIM25, a charitable consortium of the archives of 150 cultural organisations in London. He leads historical tours of King's and is the editor of Strandlines, a digital community dedicated to exploring lives on the Strand.
Eileen Chanin is a Sydney-based historian and writer. She is the author of nine books, including Capital Designs: Australia House and Visions of an Imperial London (2020). Her interest in the Strand and its many facets deepened as a Visiting Fellow of King's College London.
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The Strand
By Geoff Browell, Eileen Chanin
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