I think H V Morton's books on London and England are at the top of my lists. Though called travel books , they are musch more than that. Lots of history.

what sort of fiction do you like?

This is an old thread, but since it is up again I will add <i>A Far Cry from Kensington</i> by Muriel Sparks.

Here's some other recommendations from an earlier thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...don-novels.cfm

Oops, I did not see that this was an old thread.

The first book that came to my mind.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Thin

Brick Lane by Monica Ali (v good)

Not a novel but Billy Hill - Boss of Britains Underworld will give you an insight into the 50s and 60s in Britain that you wouldn't otherwise get:

http://www.billyhill.co.uk/

As will Profession of Violence about the Krays:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Profession-V.../dp/0006383718

And for these days (but you won't understand a word of it - even I found it hard going, and I'm in the trade - is Layer Cake (the book not the dreadful movie):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Layer-Cake-J...5559145&sr=1-1

Of course you could just read a load of Dickens' tripe.

I just read For All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose. It's the story of the first industrial espionage--Robert Fortune, gardener, botanist and British East India Company employee, disguised himself and stole tea and secrets concerned with growing, processing and using tea from China in the mid-1800's. And the British Empire--and the world--was changed. I'm an English teacher and tend to read fiction more but this non-fiction tale was quite a story. It's not in the same literary plane as books by (sorry CW--but oh so good to see you back) Dickens or Austen--or Ellis Peters or Dodie Smith or many of the other fine books mentioned above. But it is a pretty good page turner and I learned stuff about tea (and opium and rifling and...) and that era. Highly recommended. Don't wait for the movie! (No I don't know of a movie--but it would sure make a good one.)

texasbookworm, I heard about that book on NPR and put it on my to-read list - thanks for the review! Maybe I'll move it up the list.

Seriously have a go at aAyer Cake. If you can follow Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels you might just follow Layer cake (it is IMNVHO the beat british novel of the 90s).

I'll explain the language.

Layer Cake. Layer Cake. bugger.

A popular, entertaining book genre is Psychological misteries set in London and the MASTER at this is Ruth Rendell who also writes as Barbara Vine (even better!). Try "A Sight for Sore Eyes" and "A Fatal Inversion". I get her books at the local library.

Another Rendell/Vine fan here.

Also, Bill Bryson's books are very funny and clever; read NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND about his time in England.


http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Small-Is...653242&sr=1-13

Paul Theroux' KINGDOM BY THE SEA

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' Detective Bill Slider series.