Using original architectural drawings from The National Archives brought to life by stunning artwork by Josie Shenoy, discover the rich heritage of twenty-seven of London’s most iconic buildings. An elegant horizon of historic masterpieces mixed with sleek modern skyscrapers, the familiar London skyline seems to change every year.

Each building has its own dedicated spread filled with historical facts, important figures from that building’s past and amazing detailed illustrations that bring key elements about the building to life. Watch Buckingham Palace transform from a large country house into an opulent palace, spot Henry VIII playing tennis on the lawn of Hampton Court Palace, and get lost in the Palm House at Kew, London’s very own tropical rainforest.

This is a wonderful book that shows our capital at its best. Not just for lovers of London this is a beautifully illustrated book that should inspire everyone to look closer at the buildings around them and ponder on their magnificent history.

Full list of buildings included in the book:

• Big Ben
• Admiralty Arch
• Banqueting House
• British Museum
• 10 Downing Street
• Hampton Court Palace
• Horse Guards
• Houses of Parliament
• Imperial War Museum
• Jewel Tower
• Palm House
• National Gallery
• Natural History Museum
• Buckingham House
• Buckingham Palace
• Royal Court of Justice
• Chelsea Royal Hospital
• The Royal Mews
• The Royal Observatory
• Somerset House
• St Pancras Station
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Tate Britain
• Tower Bridge
• Tower of London
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Westminster Abbey

The author 

David Long has been a writer since leaving university. He has worked as a columnist on the Sunday People, has created a popular weekly cartoon strip which ran in the weekend edition of the Times, and continues to write for a wide diversity of newspapers and magazines both in Britain and abroad, including The Evening Standard, Londonist, Sunday Mirror, Sunday Times, Sunday Times Magazine, Today Magazines and many more. Many of his most popular and best reviewed books reflect his longstanding interest in the less well-known aspects of London, its architecture and eccentric inhabitants – subjects, he says, which simply never run dry. David’s book, Survivors: Extraordinary Tales From the Wild and Beyond (Faber and Faber) was the winner of the Best Book with Facts in the Blue Peter Awards 2017.

The Illustrator 

Josie Shenoy is a London-based illustrator. Her intricate and completely beautiful illustrations combine detailed pencil drawings with decorative patterns and collage in a gorgeous palette of vintage colours and textures. Josie has produced work for The British Museum and Historic Royal Palaces. She also designs her own collections of greetings cards and art prints. The Buildings that Made London is her first book with Bloomsbury.