Great social history through the lens of this well-known London landmark thar had me thinking about all the layers of the past the next time I walked through Piccadilly Circus.

I thought I knew this part of London well but it turns out I didn’t. I’ll never look at Piccadilly Circus the same way again. Eye-opening and fascinating in equal measure.

I had high hopes for this one, given my affection for London, but found it ultimately disappointing.

The focus moves in and out of Piccadilly Circus proper, so Gillies discusses the history of the Piccadilly tube line; central London department stores; suffragist riots (and how I wish she had used the uncondescending term "suffragists," but oh well); the Bright Young Things of the 1920s; Lyons Corner Shops ... et cetera. That's not the problem; the problem is that in every section the same insight, which isn't much of an insight, is repeated -- essentially, Piccadilly! So busy and various! So much going on there! I sometimes wanted to shout at the author to stop padding.

Over time the effect is that of interesting facts strung together without much of an animating or illuminating theme, and consequently Piccadilly is often entertaining but not engrossing, more in-depth tourist guide than work of history.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

My favourite part of London and was thrilled to read this
Really well researched
Great pics
I learned so much
Loved it

I loved going back in time and following the development of Piccadilly Circus and it’s surroundings. Such an iconic place with a wonderful story to tell, I enjoyed finding out about all the people passing through, the statue of Eros, the cafes, the meeting place and how it was affected during war. A brilliantly researched and engaging account. The front cover is really eye catching and more photos and illustrations would have made this even better. Thank you to Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story an iconic place but also history told using event and micro stories. There's a lot of research and an excellent storytelling making this book informative and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Piccadilly had existed for centuries but when the statue was erected in 1893, Piccadilly Circus became a 'thing;. Here Gillies takes the reader through the past 100 years of history of this iconic London landmark, telling the stories of the people and the history of the city. I loved the little throaway stories, such as Lillywhites producing items for aviators, as well as the big historical events, the bombing of the Cafe Royal for example. It's a really entertaining read.

Piccadilly calls itself a biography rather than a history book. It tells the tales of the area around Piccadilly Circus as a biography of a person would do. The book begins at the very centre, an area previously and more logically known as Regents Circus, with Alfred Gilbert checking his statue of Anteros, before its public unveiling. The statue is now commonly known as Eros, and the area is now called Piccadilly Circus. The biography covers the area from the time the statue was erected at the end of the 19th Century to the present day, and in telling the stories of the shops, coffee shops, bars and restaurants and the people passing through, basically tells the story of central London in the 20th century. The rise and fall of Swan and Edgar and the Piccadilly branch of the Lyons corner house were shadowed in department stores and tea shops all over London. This book is an entertaining biography of a lost time, and a place that has all but disappeared under its modern tacky carapace.

The amount of research that must have gone into this book is phenomenal. Packed with little stories, quirks of the area and facts- it was fascinating to read. I liked the way it went through the years. Engaging and informative.

This was a really interesting history into the history of Piccadilly Circus and the surrounding streets of the area. I enjoyed how the writing was accessible and it had a good pace to it. The book always had an interesting point to make or an area to explore. I felt that i learnt a lot about the area and learnt a lot about the areas i spend a lot of time in.

As a Londoner, I was hugely excited to read this.
Piccadilly Circus is a beating, bright centre to London, and yet I had little idea of it’s history. Here, it’s explained cleverly in this hugely readable history of the area- when I’m next there I’ll be looking around with brighter, more knowledgeable eyes, thanks to this read!

Piccadilly: The Circus at the Heart of London by Midge Gillies is a wonderful nonfiction on the history and evolution of oneof the most infamous locations within England: Piccadilly Circus.

Placed in the heart and center of London, Piccadilly Circus is rich of stories, history, and has been witness to so many monumental societal, political, cultural, and personal changes.

Here the author does an amazing job giving the reader the lay of the land so to speak on the highlights and timeline of some of these shifts.

The presentation was easy to read, paced appropriately, and the level of detail was balanced well.

I walked away learning so much, yet enjoying myself immensely in the process.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Two Roads/ John Murray Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately ( as of 9/3/22 no GR or BB listings have been created) and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/13/22.