Everything You Know About London is Wrong

A highly entertaining read for anyone with even a passing interest in London's history. This myth-busting book takes you on a great ride through history and the city's character. Think that the tower that holds Big Ben is called St Stephen's Tower? Think again - it was called the Clock Tower until 2012 when it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower. Think that the Union Flag flying over Buckingham Palace means the Queen is home? Think again - it means that she's elsewhere, doing other Queenish things. Packed with details on real London history, it explodes a range of myths from the rumoured burial of Queen Boudica beneath platform 10 at King's Cross to the lamp on Carting (or 'Farting') Lane that runs on gas from the city's sewers. Myths regarding London's arts, entertainment, food, drink, kings and queens, traditions as well as politics are all covered, to give you a fascinating insight into the true capital.

Matt Brown is author of several books for Batsford, using his trademark humour and playfulness as tools to explore the world. He has served as editor and editor-at-large of Londonist.com, writing on topics as diverse as street art, politics, map-making and science. With a deep love of trivia, he's written and hosted hundreds of quizzes, including events for the Museum of London and Manchester Science Museum, among many others. He lives in Hertfordshire and tweets at @mattfromlondon.