“A dynamic urban city”
“A gloomy town with nightmarish traffic problems” “A vigorous town, distinguished for an energetic individuality” “Plenty of delights to satisfy an unprejudiced eye” “Not quite like anywhere else” “The whiff of boredom, wretchedness and despair” “An intelligent and unpretentious town to live in” “Not wholly Golgotha” “A stupendous octopus” Great names discussing Reading: Defoe, Pepys, Dickens, Wilde, Betjeman, Graham Greene, John Peel and others.
This new edition of a popular title takes the comments about Reading back a further four centuries and forward another decade since its first publication.

Adam Sowan is a local historian based in Reading. An explorer at heart, Adam jumped at the offer of early retirement from the Civil Service and has since spent his time exploring the history and topography of his adopted town, Reading. He is interested in architecture and is an editor of Reading Civic Society's magazine.