London’s Labyrinth: The World Beneath the City’s Streets

London's Labyrinth exposes the sinister side of the subterranean city in Victorian times: from the shocking bomb attacks on the Metropolitan and District Lines in 1883 to the sad tale of unrequited love at Charing Cross, where a young man shot the object of his affections before turning the gun on himself. By its very nature, “underworld” London has also been a popular resort of thieves and the book relates outrageous tales of robberies, such as that of the unfortunate William Frost, shot during a mugging on the Metropolitan Line in 1910. It has also witnessed some of the worst tragedies in London's history. Such tragic tales are interspersed with the lighter but no less fascinating stories of London's numerous disused railways, its “ghost stations,” tunnels, and bunkers. In the twenty-first century, underground London remains an essential part of the capital's life, and this book will enrich any journey (real or imaginary) through the city's subterranean labyrinth.