Underground: How the Tube Shaped London

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David Bownes

Oliver Green

Sam Mullins

Allen Lane, London, 2012, English

Nonfiction, Urban Design

11.5 x 10.1 inches, hardcover, 288 pages

ISBN: 9781846144622

Suggested Retail Price: $35.59

From the Publisher. In 2013 London Underground, the world's first underground railway, marks its 150th anniversary. This new, lavishly illustrated history is the official anniversary publication of the London Underground, drawing on previously unseen sources and images to celebrate the crucial role of the tube in the creation and everyday life of modern London. London Underground experts David Bownes, Oliver Green and Sam Mullins have a lifelong passion for the city and the Tube. They blend social history with the story of the pioneering engineers, designers, and social reformers who created the system, reflecting on the problems of keeping a fast growing city on the move. From providing access to the business heart of the Victorian City of London to the leisure delights of the Edwardian West End, through the growth of the suburbs and the vital role of the Underground as shelter during the Blitz, the story continues through urban regeneration to the challenge of upgrading the original network to meet the needs of the 21st century. With a cast of characters encompassing entrepreneurs, architects, politicians, and passengers, this is the story of how the world beneath our feet made history.

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Zara Arshad

On Zara Arshad’s Notable Books of 2012 list

The world’s first—and probably most iconic—underground railway celebrates 150 years in 2013. This new, official publication captures the story of its creation, blending social history with “the story of the pioneering engineers, designers and social reformers who created the system, reflecting on the problems of keeping a fast-growing city on the move.” A fascinating insight into the evolution of not just the London Underground and its identity, but also of the character of London itself. 

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