Piccadilly: The Circus at the Heart of London

Description

There's nowhere quite like Piccadilly Circus. From the moment they emerge, blinking from the underground station, visitors to Piccadilly Circus face a sensory onslaught. Its streets and alleyways merge into an intoxicating thoroughfare, with the power to propel an individual onwards to adventure, romance, or something more sinister. Ever since its iconic Eros statue appeared in 1893, the junction has been a vibrant meeting place, attracting visitors and pleasure-seekers from all walks of life: political plans and theatrical careers were hatched at its restaurant and cafe tables, lovers met below the statue of Eros, and to this day tourists pour out of its historic Tube to experience the bright lights of London's nightlife. Piccadilly explores how the area has been shaped by social and historical events - from female suffrage to world wars to technological advancements - and by its colourful cast of characters - from flower girls, shop assistants and sex workers, to film stars, Bright Young Things and conmen (and women). For many, the Circus has represented both a home from home and a brave new world, as campaigners, revellers, opportunists and romantics have all been drawn to Piccadilly's bright lights. This is the story of why Piccadilly Circus continues to mean so much to so many.

Midge Gillies is the author of seven non fiction books, including biographies of the pioneering pilot Amy Johnson and the Edwardian music hall star, Marie Lloyd. Midge studied History at Girton College and was Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge for three years. She is Academic Director of Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education and has a PhD from the University of East Anglia. She lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband, award-winning crime novelist Jim Kelly.

[A] magpie's nest of a book, replete with anecdotes, sketches and quotes . . . Piccadilly is painstakingly researched and as busy as the Circus itself. * The TLS * An engrossing new social history. -- Anne Kennedy Smith *Books of the Year 2022*