No city has a more dramatic history than London: fire, plague, and riots have shaken its spirit, but never brought it down. The extraordinary story unfolds here through a combination of artifacts, maps, documents, paintings, photographs, and unparalleled writing. From its origins as a Roman outpost to its role as a source of inspiration for Dickens, the city's history is filled with tales of mayhem and power.   New edition with facsimile documents now printed in the book.