Mudlark
In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames
by Lara Maiklem
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Pub Date Nov 05 2019 | Archive Date Oct 31 2019
W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright
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Description
A quixotic journey through London’s past, Mudlark plumbs the banks of the Thames to reveal the stories hidden behind the archaeological remnants of an ancient city.
Long heralded as a city treasure herself, expert “mudlarker” Lara Maiklem is uniquely trained in the art of seeking. Tirelessly trekking across miles of the Thames’ muddy shores, where others only see the detritus of city life, Maiklem unearths evidence of England’s captivating, if sometimes murky, history—with some objects dating back to 43 AD, when London was but an outpost of the Roman Empire.
From medieval mail worn by warriors on English battlefields to nineteenth-century glass marbles mass-produced for the nation’s first soda bottles, Maiklem deduces the historical significance of these artifacts with the quirky enthusiasm and sharp-sightedness of a twenty-first century Sherlock Holmes.
Seamlessly interweaving reflections from her own life with meditations on the art of wandering, Maiklem ultimately delivers—for Anglophiles and history lovers alike—a memorable treatise on the objects we leave in our wake, and the stories they can reveal if only we take a moment to look.
About the Author: Lara Maiklem is a British editor who has been mudlarking for more than a decade. Featured in the Guardian and by the BBC for her work as the "London Mudlark," she lives on the Kent coast, close to the Thames Estuary, and visits the river as regularly as the tides permit.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781631494963 |
| PRICE | $27.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 320 |
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Featured Reviews
Ashley P, Librarian
First line: It is hot and airless on the 7.42 from Greenwich to Cannon Street.
Summary: Mudlarker Lara Maiklem spends hours walking miles along the riverbank of the Thames in London. In her wanderings she finds little trinkets that give us a look into the English past. She has found items ranging from the Romans to modern day trash.
My Thoughts: I absolutely devoured this book. I first heard about it on a podcast called Talking Tudors hosted by Natalie Grueninger. In one of her recent releases she talked with Lara about her upcoming book and the Tudor related finds she has discovered in the mud of the river. Immediately after listening to it I had to find a copy to read. Thank goodness Netgalley had it available.
I really enjoyed how the author laid out the book. She started at one end of the Thames and worked her way to the sea. As she described her finds she also delved into her past, experiences on the foreshore and other mudlarks and their finds. I loved learning about the items she found. I was constantly on the internet looking for pictures of these items and reading more history behind them. I am really jealous of the items she has in her curio cabinet. I am seriously thinking about getting a day pass to mudlark the next time I am in London. Or can I mudlark in Kansas?
FYI: Lara Maiklem is on Facebook and Instagram. If you want to see her finds and hear more about mudlarking then check them out.
Adrienne D, Reviewer
Mudlark, the debut work of Lara Maiklem is, by far, the most engaging non-fiction book I’ve read in ages. From Maiklem’s first lines, I immediately felt as though I were travelling right along with her, walking side-by-side along the foreshore of London’s ancient river. Her prose is richly detailed without being overwrought, each word chosen carefully to paint the whole picture. Maiklem doesn’t merely describe the items she has found, she puts them into context; who would have used them, and why they were discovered in a certain part of the river. London through the ages is brought to life through her deft story-telling. Reading Mudlark felt just as addicting as I’m sure actual mudlarking is – each time I stepped away, I counted the hours until I could go back and immerse myself again in the muddy waters of the Thames.
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