Bernard Nurse is the former Librarian of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Bernard Nurse's glorious book is divided into convenient sections, illustrating maps and scenes of the City, Westminster, the Thames, and London's fashionable environs. . . . Miscellaneous prints which do not easily fit into this scheme instead form an interesting short section on topics such as law and order and London's enthusiasm for firework displays. Each illustration is furnished with a useful commentary. Lavishly illustrated with full page reproduction.--Brian Green The Dulwch Society (09/28/2017) This new book by Bernard Nurse, the distinguished former Librarian of the Society of Antiquaries, has many facets, not all of which are revealed by the title. At face value it provides a survey of the topographical works on paper depicting London up to 1800. Extending from this it gives an interesting overview on the nature, purpose and characteristics of topographical depiction in Britain touching upon the value of topographical records to the historian and how our understanding of that value has changed. The core of the book however consists of a general historical survey of London, based on the prints and drawings included in the book and organised geographically and thematically. --Jeremy Smith The London Journal (10/10/2017)