London in the 19th century was the greatest city mankind had ever seen. Its wealth was dazzling. Its horrors shocked the world. As William Blake put it, London was "a Human awful wonder of God." It was a century of genius—of Blake, Thackeray, and Mayhew, of Nash, Faraday, Disraeli, and Dickens. Jerry White's dazzling book is the first in 100 years to explore London's history over the 19th century as a whole. We see the destruction of old London and the city's unparalleled suburban expansion. We see how London absorbed people from all over Britain, from Europe, and the Empire. We see how Londoners worked and played. Most of all, we see how they tried to make sense of their city and make it a better place in which to live. Emerging clearly from this eloquent and richly-detailed overview is the London we can see today.