This book was originally published in 2005 by the London Topographical Society, no doubt a rather limited run, which would explain the rather high prices, if you can find a copy. Fortunately, Thames & Hudson reprinted it in 2016 as a large, chunky title with the addition of fifty pages reproducing sixty-nine photos of bomb damage in London.
The maps are very detailed, showing individual properties within the London County Council area (I did find it slightly annoying that the detail actually ends exactly at the LCC boundary line, I bought a house in the sixties where the back yard actually ended on the outside of the boundary and of course it isn't shown). The front cover inner flap has a tear-off piece that has a seven-color key to the maps, from total destruction (black) to blast damage (yellow) and clearance areas (green) two circles indicate the V-2 rocket and V-1 flying bomb. With the help of a good magnifying glass street names can easily be read and most of the other detail: railway stations; factories; churches; historical places etc.
The addition of the black and white photos of bomb damage in the City of London was a fascinating extra. They were taken by two City police officers Arthur Cross and Fred Tibbs, between 1940 and 1945. They are large on the page with captions.
I thought this was a remarkable book with its finely detailed maps, the photos and introduction full of statistics about London's wartime destruction.
