The City of London has one of the strongest unbroken traditions of livery companies in the world. Over one hundred companies, some six centuries old, maintain strong, colourful, beneficial, traditional and independent lives, and many of them have beautiful halls. This book traces the history of the guilds and liveries in various countries and shows their influence on the government of the City, on which the Westminster model is based, on the actual trades, on royalty and on the history of Britain and other lands. The author compares the guilds of Britain with those of Europe and describes each of the City guilds, their history, traditions, work and influence.