Don't expect idly re-cycled facts, the author has done an awesome research job that might come across as geeky, if it wasn't so interesting. ... Really - a great read! * Greyhound Star, August 2014 issue *
Inglis must be the best in the world at this sort of thing. ... From bear gardens to skateparks. Played in London has the lot. ... The sheer density of information and illustration means that, despite its handsome layout, Inglis's epic is not the easiest of books to navigate. But, like London itself, it is endless fun to get lost in. -- Richard Williams * The Guardian, Talking Sport, 29th August 2014 *
... the research that has gone into this book is staggering. It is a massive topic, for sure, but with a copy in my hands, now I really understand. Played in London is the size and weight of a medium telephone directory (remember those?), is beautifully laid out in four column format and illustrated with nearly 1000 photographs, illustrations and maps. In short, it's a quality object. This is a wonderful book. Yes, it relates the history of sport as it should. But it really succeeds in nailing the heritage in its title: it invokes nostalgia really powerfully. London sports fans will love this book, of that there is no doubt. Sports loving architects will adore it. And I would go so far to say that even historians without any interest in sports at all will enjoy Played in London. It's that good. -- Mike Paterson * London Historians, September 2014 *
The greatest sporting city on Earth? After 360 pages of Simon Inglis's comprehensively detailed book, it is a safe bet that Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne, Barcelona and any other pretenders will be throwing in the towel and accepting London's pre-eminence. ... Part of the Played in Britain series, it leaves you wanting even more of the wonderfully evocative old photography ... -- Matt Dickinson * The Times, Saturday review, September 6 2014 *
If books could receive medals, Played in London woudl be hogging the centre of the podium. London book of the year so far. -- M@ * Londonist, 3 September 2014 *
... a breathtaking accomplishment, full of terrific nuggests of information ... * The Great Wen *
'Putting it quite simply, this is a remarkable book... You don't have to be a Londoner to enjoy Played in London, though that would help. You don't even have to like sport, though if you do it will add to your enjoyment considerably. More than anything else, this is just a fascinating education... This book not only feels special, it feels vital too. Some achievement.' -- Nick Metcalf * Mail Online *
This fascinating exploration 'charting the heritage of a city at play' looks at the spaces, buildings and sports that have shaped London's landscape over a millennia, revealing all sorts of intriguing historical facts along the way... this book, packed with original photographs and detailed maps, is a cornucopia of great stories and sporting events. October 2014 * Choice *
Any popular culture enthusiasts, serious or casual, will gain from Inglis' attention to the role of sport in the community and as an essential part of everyday life. -- MD * All Out Cricket *
In 'Played in London', Inglis, the writer of a number of highly acclaimed books about football history and stadium architecture, turns his attentions - over 360 pages of exhaustive research, stunning design and truly fascinating insight - towards sport in its wider social context, with specific regard to the English capital. -- Tony Hannan * Forty-20 *
An amazing feat of social history. -- N S Recommends * New Statesman *
Simon Inglis is rightly renowned for his writing on the cultural significance of stadia and other sporting buildings. Simon's 'Played in Britain' project has helped transform our understanding of what these structures mean to their localities, and his latest account of this relationship, 'Played in London' not only continues the richness of Simon's explanation but is unarguably his finest book in this extraordinary 'Played in...' series yet. -- Mark Perryman * Philosophy Football *
The epic breadth of sport and places covered with a forensic level of research is something to marvel at. ... a beautiful encyclopaedia of London's sporting and social history. * Sport Magazine *
Sports historian Inglis's compendium of facts, figures, stories, street signs and photos is the perfect present for sports loving Londoners. -- Neil O'Sullivan * Financial Times *
What makes this journey so enjoyable is Simon Inglis' witty, sagacious and tremendously informative text... London's sporting heritage could have no finer guardian and watch-keeper. * Groundtastic, Winter 2014 *
A sumptuous, meticulously researched book... also a cracking good read. -- Matthew Syed * The Times *
This magnificent tome will stand as the masterwork authority on the capital's sporting heritage for many decades to come. We picked it up with only a passing interest in sport. We put it down, 240,000 words later, with a newfound appreciation for the stadia, pitches and sporting traditions of the capital... It's not only a publishing achievement of the highest order, but also an immensely good read. * Londonist.com, *
Our Book of the Year... Quite simply an exceptional work of social and architectural history. Deeply researched, superbly written, beautifully designed and printed with hundreds of photos, illustrations and maps. * London Historians *
This latest volume from Simon Inglis provides a fascinating portrait of the sporting grounds in the 2012 Olympic City of London. ... Magnificent illustrations, many of them reproduced for the first time in many years, are complemented by a bright, informative but never over powering text. -- Philip Barker * Journal of Olympic History, December 2014 *
This is a quite remarkable publication and I am not at all sure that I - or any reviewer - can do it justice; you must see it for yourself to discover the range, the depth and the detail, all of which are soon evident. ... It cannot ve too highly recommended. -- Gerald Gurney * The Tennis Collector, January 2015 *
Simon Inglis's writing is lucid, personal and thought provoking. ... the book is endlessly fascinating in its detail and depth. It is almost impossible to do full justice to such a compendious publication - there are hundreds of illustrations (photographs, paintings, drawings, maps and more) which enhance and illuminate the text. -- Richard Pugh * Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society, Summer 2015, Vol 5, No. 2 *
