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Shakespeare's Pub: A Barstool History of London as Seen Through the Windows of Its Oldest Pub - The George Inn

  • Based on 33 reviews
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Description

A history of Britain told through the story of one very special pub, from "The Beer Drinker's Bill Bryson" (Times Literary Supplement) Welcome to the George Inn near London Bridge; a cosy, wood-paneled, galleried coaching house a few minutes' walk from the Thames. Grab yourself a pint, listen to the chatter of the locals and lean back, resting your head against the wall. And then consider this: who else has rested their head against that wall, over the last six hundred years?Chaucer and his fellow pilgrims almost certainly drank in the George on their way out of London to Canterbury. It's fair to say that Shakespeare popped in from the nearby Globe for a pint, and we know that Dickens certainly did. Mail carriers changed their horses here, before heading to all four corners of Britain―while sailors drank here before visiting all four corners of the world.The pub, as Pete Brown points out, is the 'primordial cell of British life' and in the George he has found the perfect example. All life is here, from murderers, highwaymen, and ladies of the night to gossiping peddlers and hard-working clerks. So sit back with Shakespeare's Pub and watch as buildings rise and fall over the centuries, and 'the beer drinker's Bill Bryson' (UK's Times Literary Supplement) takes us on an entertaining tour through six centuries of history, through the stories of everyone that ever drank in one pub. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; Reprint edition (May 21, 2013)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250033888


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 88


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.78 x 1.19 x 8.47 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #1,874,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #3,204 in England History #15,790 in Historical Study (Books)


#3,204 in England History:


#15,790 in Historical Study (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Shakespeare's Pub is a winneer
Shakespeare's Pub was a well written, enjoyable read that also provided a wealth of information. I am and always have been an Anglophile who loves to read Dickens and Shakespeare and who is entertained by the many English comedies and mysteries available on PBS and Amazon. My wife and I have visited London twice and are planning another trip to occur over the Christmas holidays 2014. This book gave us tips on places to go and things to see many of which we hadn't an inkling of their existence. Our next London trip will be the better for having read and absorbed the material in this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2014 by F. Mauri

  • Informative and Entertaining Book in "BritCom" style
I enjoyed this book even though I'm not a beer aficianado as Peter Brown's other books seem to be targetted for. I was more interested in the Shakespeare angle to The George Inn - which ends up being very thin if nonexistent (well non-proveable) ties. But I enjoyed the Bankside & Borough walk through the ages, as that's now been my favorite spots to visit in London on my trips. Brown's writing style is sort of a Douglas Adams/Monty Python-ish pastiche - I enjoyed it very much but if you're expecting a more serious Peter Ackroyd sort of thing you should be warned. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2013 by Carl Christensen

  • Funny asides and tangents throughout but stays a coherent story
Pay attention to the subtitle here and you will be quite pleased with the book. If instead you see Shakespeare the name or picture you may be disappointed. The focus of this book is telling of a London past by telling the story of this one business where maybe Shakespeare went sometimes. Pete Brown weaves the story of Southwark, the London Bridge, coaches, and pubs around The George Inn. He is engaging even while rambling. Funny asides and tangents throughout but stays a coherent story. Really entertaining and informative. Those not familiar with London and especially Americans may need to brush past some references or look them up, random Brit pop references, store names and politicians type things not detrimental to an understanding. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2017 by ARG

  • A good pub history
This was very interesting and also a nice history of England. The author got a little wordy at times, but overal it was a good book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013 by Chef pasta

  • If class were held in the pub...
Pete Brown's "Barstool History" is history as taught by your favorite professor whose lectures you can't wait to attend. It's conversational in the best manner of speaking. If it's "messy", so is history and so are humans. He truly makes history come alive. I just wish there had been a few more illustrations, because he mentions some that were not shown, but this is being niggly; I know how much it costs to print even halftones. So sit down with a pint and find yourself transported through time. Then make plans to visit The George Inn yourself. By the time you've finished "Shakespeare's Pub", it will feel like an old friend. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2015 by Michelle B. Braverman

  • Brilliantly witty and thoroughly researched...
Pete Brown has written one of the best history books I have ever read, and I've read quite a few. Using a technique used by only the best teachers, he draws one into his book by its great title, then craftily tells the history, not only of the George Inn, but of Southwark, London, London Bridge, British transportation, and how changes in the transport of people and goods effected the lives of the British people. A great read from beginning to end, I could not put this book down. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2013 by Elisabeth Carroll

  • but now I will have a better feel for its history
I hope to be sipping a beer at the George in a few week's time. I've been there before, but now I will have a better feel for its history.
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2014 by Kindle Customer

  • The Author is Honest, and Correct
Since Mr. Brown admits about half way through that this is it NOT about Shakespeare, I don't feel any qualms about expressing the same. It isn't about Shakespeare, or even about greater London. It is a detailed history of Southwark, and the many inns located there, as well as the reasons for that. The chapter about Chaucer is interesting, the one about Shakespeare somewhat so, but unless you have a deep driving curiosity about the old coaching inns in the capital city, this is one you might skip. I've been reading books about London all summer, searching for one I might assign to my Honors Brit class and this one is so singularly focused on The George it has to be eliminated from my list. It isn't badly written, I just think it just has a very narrow focus and isn't what the title led me to expect. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2013 by armybrat

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