Ten Best Books About London
The Travel Pages picks the ten best books about London with histories, mysteries, classics, memoirs & the finest fiction about one of the world’s great cities.
The 10 Best Books About London: A Literary Guide for Explorers
London’s rich history, vibrant culture, and iconic landmarks have inspired countless writers. Whether you’re planning your first trip or revisiting memories of the city, these ten books—spanning fiction, history, memoir, and crime—will deepen your appreciation for Britain’s capital.
1. London: The Biography – Peter Ackroyd (2000)
Ackroyd’s monumental work is not a conventional history but a sprawling, anecdotal exploration of London’s soul. From Roman Londinium to the modern metropolis, he weaves together politics, crime, art, and folklore, presenting the city as a living, breathing entity. This book is perfect for those who want to understand London’s chaotic energy and enduring mystique. Buy it here:
2. Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf (1925)
Set over a single day in post-WWI London, Woolf’s modernist masterpiece follows Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for a party. Through stream-of-consciousness prose, Woolf captures the city’s rhythm—from the bustle of Bond Street to the quiet of Regent’s Park. A lyrical meditation on time, memory, and urban life. Buy it here:
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle (1892)
No literary figure is more associated with London than Sherlock Holmes. This collection of short stories, including classics like A Scandal in Bohemia, immerses readers in Victorian London’s foggy streets, hansom cabs, and criminal underworld. Essential for mystery lovers and fans of London’s Gothic charm. Buy it here:
4. The Diary of Samuel Pepys – Samuel Pepys (1660–1669, published 1825)
No book captures the pulse of 17th-century London more vividly than Pepys’s legendary diary. Written between 1660 and 1669, this astonishingly detailed first-hand account takes readers through the Restoration, the Great Plague (1665), and the Great Fire of London (1666) with thrilling immediacy. Buy it here:
5. White Teeth – Zadie Smith (2000)
Smith’s debut novel is a vibrant, multicultural saga set in late 20th-century London. Following two wartime friends and their families, it explores immigration, identity, and generational clashes with humor and heart. A brilliant portrait of London’s diversity and dynamism. Buy it here:
6. The Lonely Londoners – Sam Selvon (1956)
This groundbreaking novel follows West Indian immigrants navigating 1950s London. Written in vivid Creole-inflected prose, it captures both the excitement and alienation of life in the city. A poignant, often humorous look at postcolonial London and the birth of its Caribbean community. Buy it here:
7. London in the Twentieth Century: A City and Its People – Jerry White (2001)
Award-winning historian Jerry White delivers the definitive social history of modern London, chronicling its transformation from imperial capital to multicultural metropolis. Through vivid anecdotes and sharp analysis, he examines how two world wars, immigration, and economic shifts reshaped everything from housing to humor. Buy it here:
8. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens (1838)
Dickens’ classic novel paints a vivid portrait of Victorian London’s stark social divides, from workhouse misery to criminal underworlds. Follow orphan Oliver’s journey through filthy slums, thieves’ dens, and London’s legal system as Dickens exposes child labor and poverty with biting social commentary. Buy it here:
9. Down and Out in Paris and London – George Orwell (1933)
Orwell’s memoir of poverty in two great cities includes vivid chapters on 1920s London, where he lived as a tramp. His stark, unsentimental portrayal of homelessness and working-class struggles remains startlingly relevant. A sobering but essential read. Buy it here:
10. Small Island – Andrea Levy (2004)
This multi-award winning novel brilliantly captures post-WWII London through four intersecting voices: Jamaican immigrants Gilbert and Hortense, and English couple Queenie and Bernard. Levy’s masterpiece explores the Windrush generation’s experiences with poignant humor and sharp social observation, revealing both racist realities and unexpected humanity in 1948 London. Buy it here:
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