Dr Johnson's London

Liza Picard

Apr 2006 · Life of London Book 3 · Weidenfeld & Nicolson · Narrated by Fiona Shaw

About this audiobook

Like its popular and acclaimed predecessor RESTORATION LONDON, this book is the result of the author's passionate interest in the practical details of the everyday life of our ancestors, so often ignored in more conventional history books. Based on every possible contemporary source - diaries, almanacs, newspapers, advice books, memoirs, government papers and reports - Liza Picard examines every aspect of life in London: the streets, houses and gardens; cooking, housework, laundry and shopping; clothes and jewellery, cosmetics and hairdressing; medicine, sex, hobbies, education and etiquette; religion and popular beliefs; law and crime. This book spans the years 1740 to 1770, starting when the gin craze was gaining ground and ending when the east coast of America was still British.

`Accessible and vivid. Picard's curiosity and enthusiasm are infectious, and she has an instinct for what will interest the lay reader' Daily Telegraph

Read by Fiona Shaw

(p) 2000 Orion Publishing Group

About the author

Liza Picard was born in 1927. She is the bestselling author an acclaimed series of books on the history of London: ELIZABETH'S LONDON, RESTORATION LONDON, DR JOHNSON'S LONDON and VICTORIAN LONDON. Her most recent book, CHAUCER'S PEOPLE, explores the Middle Ages through the lives of the pilgrims in THE CANTERBURY TALES. She read law at the London School of Economics and was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn, but did not practise. She worked for many years in the office of the Solicitor of the Inland Revenue before retiring to become a full-time author. She lives in London.

Fiona Shaw is an Irish actress and theatre director. She is best known for her aclaimed theatre roles but to International audiences she is probably most familiar for her role as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films and in 2011 for her role as Marnie Stonebrook in the True Blood series. Fiona was awarded an honorary CBE in 2001 for her services to drama and she has of course read numerous audiobooks including Dr. Johnson's London by Liza Picard, for Orion.