One of a precious handful of books that in their precise examination of a particular locality, open our understanding of the universal themes of the past. In this case it is Kentish Town in London that reveals its complex secrets to us, through the resurrection of its now buried rivers and wells, coaching houses, landlords, traders, and simple tenants. Fragments of this past can still be found by the observant eye. This book is a brilliant evocation of the complex history of London, city of villages, revealed through this particular study of Kentish Town.