I read this book on my Kindle which does not provide an easy way to go back and forth to check things out but it did make mew want to climb up to the top of a double decker with this guide in my hand. As someone who lived in London for three years, 50 years ago, and has made many visits back in the intervening years, I can tell you London has changed so dramatically from the city I first visited and loved. Even with this book, the author talks about how the corner of Oxford Street, Charing Cross and Totthenham Court had undergone a transformation since the last edition. But the more things change, I hope there are others, like me, who cherish what came before.

The author contends there is no finer way to explore the city than from the top of a bus. I concur. When you are living and working in London, you do not have the time to linger as you do as a tourist. I had only taken the bus when it was necessary to get to a tube station back in the day. But once my remit changed, I have been a bus person all the way. With the congestion it becomes a pleasant way to linger and look at the various buildings. This book talks about the stories that go with the buildings and the architecture. I found myself driving down the various streets in my memory, trying to recall the details. That is why this book would be such a bonus for those visiting London both newbies and old pros.

It is chock full of detail and an entertaining read. Now where can I pick up a number 15? Four purrs and two paws up.

This is such a charming little love letter to London’s architecture. Collins takes you along four bus routes and points out all the details you’d normally miss unless you’re deliberately looking up.

Helpful and well researched. However, I do think there should have been pictures. It was a bit clunky, and I wish it was broken up in a more manageable way.

I received a free copy of, London from the Top of a Bus, by Martin Collins, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a great guide to traveling around London by bus. I liked this book and it was very informative, I was disappointed there is no pictures, I wanted to see the view from the top of the bus.