"If you love London but live elsewhere, it is an emotional experience to read a book that immerses you deep in the city after a year of enforced estrangement. To reacquaint myself with the place via this spirited account of its past and present left me amused, wistful, energized, and happily reminded of the sensations a metropolis instils: awe at its flux and complexity, warm detachment on walking unfamiliar nocturnal streets where a thousand lit windows hint at other lives, fascination at the countless historic buildings imbued with centuries of stories. . . . Baker contemplates the multitudinous city from diverse perspectives to create a picture of depth and detail. . . . London: City of Cities is a stylish, glossy hardback with lavish color illustration. . . . Approach this book like one of the long solitary walks through the city it describes: enjoy its spirit and energy, be captivated by its curiosities."--Kieron Pim "Guardian"