'By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.' - Samuel Johnson

It is the people who make London what it is. The men and women living within its walls, with all their successes and failures, their loves and lies, their dramas and indulgences.

Taking us from the sixteenth century to the present day, London author David Long introduces us to fifty of the most eccentric, revolutionary, bloodthirsty and memorable characters to have walked London's streets. Many are familiar names, but others remain largely unknown. From a house lived in by both Handel and Hendrix to Queen Victoria's rat catcher, an emperor in exile and real-life tales of derring-do, A History of London in 50 Lives is a unique take on the English capital and on some of the more remarkable characters who have called it home.