A Collection of Cultural and Historical Insights into a Great City. London is now some 2,000 years old, and for the last thousand has been one of the greatest cities on earth. Engulfed in calamities that seemed to mark its end, from fire and plague to mass bombings, it has emerged stronger than ever, with a vibrant cultural life and long heritage that entices visitors. With intriguing facts and stories, The London Treasury looks at the minutiae of everyday life; famous Londoners, real and fictional (like Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes); and major events that changed the city and the world. It reveals London's oldest pub, the legend of the Tower of London, the mystery of the red columns next to Blackfriars Bridge, the average life expectancy of a Londoner, what qualifies someone as a Cockney and much more!