Underground London: Travels Beneath The City Streets

In this marvelous work, Stephen Smith explores the life and history of London from an unusual angle--underneath. Beginning with the rivers that run under the capital and ending in the system of tunnels beneath the Thames Barrier, "Underground London" is an enthralling journey into a subterranean world. We find the author descending into St. Andrew's crypts, where the dead are being raised; joining miners digging tunnels; and exploring the culverts beneath Hampton Court, a stunning feat of engineering designed as a secret passageway for Henry VIII's mistresses. Smith visits Victorian sewers, wartime bunkers, and secret vaults. He explores tube stations and the now-defunct Mail Rail, the miniature railway that once transported twelve million letters a day.