London voices, lives

"London Voices, London Lives" addresses a question of great current importance for urban policy: what kind of a place is London in the 21st century, and how does it differ significantly from other parts of urban Britain? It addresses these questions in a unique way: over one hundred ordinary Londoners provide their answers in their own voices. This book is a unique collection: ordinary Londoners, in their own voices, tell about ordinary London lives. Interviews with over a hundred people in eight localities, from inner-city Battersea, to suburban Heston, to Greenhithe on the London fringe, have been edited with a linking commentary by Professor Sir Peter Hall. The first half, "London Voices", introduces the characters - their hopes and aspirations, their frustrations and struggles, their determination and optimism. The second, "London Lives", introduces the themes that dominate their everyday lives: the struggle to keep their heads above water, the search for a place to live, the hassle of the journey to work, their friends and neighbours, their concerns about crime, and the quality of their everyday lives. This is not only an extraordinary social record but also a compelling read for anyone and everyone interested in today's London, or in any other great global city. It will provide a mine of information for future historians on one of the world's greatest cities and will be of special academic or professional interest to sociologists, anthropologists, geographers, planners and social policymakers.