"In unfailingly elegant prose, V. S. Pritchett dissects the city of London with eloquence and understated wit, providing a timeless distillation of the London experience. He shows us the capital through the centuries – a panorama of history, art, literature; a paradox of grandeur and grime, the bustling markets and tranquil parks, the ancient and modern, the palaces and pubs, the docks and train depots. Here is the city that Londoners know. At the heart of the book is an astute and affectionate portrait of the Londoner – enigmatic and enduring, with a remote but insistent respect for law, royalty, and ritual, a love of argument, a tolerance of eccentrics. Pritchett gives us famous Londoners (Wren, Pepys, Dickens) and the ordinary folk (milkmen and master mariners, dockers and shopkeepers, Chelsea pensioners, and the London bobby). London Perceived tells the rich and surprising story of this great and historic city – Londoners will see their home anew, and visitors appreciate its smaller wonders. A loving tribute London past and present."