Felix Barker and Ralph Hyde , London As It Might Have Been (John Murray). A richly illustrated book on the weird and wonderful plans that never quite made it from the drawing board.

Samantha Hardingham , London: A Guide to Recent Architecture (Ellipsis/ Knickerbocker Press). Wonderful pocket guide to the architecture of the last ten years or so, with a knowledgeable, critical text and plenty of black-and-white photos.

Niklaus Pevsner and others , The Buildings of England (Penguin). Magisterial series, started by Pevsner to which others have added, inserting newer buildings but generally respecting the founder's personal tone. The latest of the London volumes (there are now five in the series) is a paperback edition devoted to London Docklands.

Richard Trench and Ellis Hillman , London under London (John Murray). Fascinating book revealing the secrets of every aspect of the capital's subterranean history, from the lost rivers of the underground to the gas and water systems.