A review of a street guide?
Ah, but one’s A to Z was a family treasured possession and, incredibly, could actually be picked up and READ! I suppose we bought our first copy even before moving to London, around 1968, and used it when exploring areas around the Tate Gallery, or lunching in Chelsea or just being tourists. But even before moving and living there London was a fascination, its history being the main interest of course. The history is the strongest motivation for ‘reading’ this detailed guide as the scale is so great that not only individual streets can be explored, but each notable building is outlined and named. So, if reading Pepys for example, or Dickens, or any mention of Baker Street, New Scotland Yard or the Tower caught ones interest; the A to Z was reached for and one could “walk” the area in it’s pages.

Many fascinating strolls and visits resulted from browsing these pages – ever wonder where those dreadful alleys and yards of Sherlock Holmes or Jack the Ripper were? – if they were real (unlike Holmes’ address!) they could be referenced in the hugely detailed and accurate Index, the page, the square on the page and – with excitement - the actual place is viewed. If subsequently to visited it could be accurately found (in the days before Google and Satellite-maps) the exact positioning was previewed and was fully detailed enough to be recognized in the reality.

So – a street guide truly worthy of a review!

The A to Z is an absolutely invaluable map for anyone who intends to do any extended travelling in London. Travelers should be aware that this is purely a map. It is not a guidebook. But it is most certainly an amazing map and a valuable resource. The A to Z maps all of London, from the outer edges to the center of the city, in 152 pages. Each of the maps offers a remarkably precise level of detail. It includes streets- everything from major motorways to tiny alleys. The book's cover claims to map over 69,000 streets, and it's easy to believe when you see the level of detail that these maps capture. The maps also include post offices, churches, schools, hospitals, shopping centers, tube and train stations, even walking paths in parks and greens. Streets, hospitals, and neighborhoods are also helpfully indexed in the back. Because the A to Z breaks the London map down into a series of smaller sections, it fits nicely into compact book form, which makes it easy to throw into your bag for a day of sightseeing or travel. For those intending to spend time in central London, one of the most valuable features is a 16-page superscale map of central London, allowing even greater detail, and clearly marking numerous points of historical and general interest. This is an invaluable resource for anyone walking, driving, or traveling in London. ( )