Let’s face it: this summer may as well be called the summer of London. With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics, it seems everywhere you look London is in the headlines. Here at the Cambridge Book Club, we’re getting into the spirit by featuring London: A Social and Cultural History, 1550-1750 by Robert Bucholz and Joseph Ward (on sale July 24).

Though it is the epitome of a modern, cosmopolitan city today, London points out a crucial fact: Its ascent was neither easy nor inevitable. Historians Robert Bucholz and Joseph Ward provide a riveting account of a crucial period that witnessed the city’s rise to worldwide prominence, charting the critical factors that triggered the city’s transformation from a backwater city to the crown jewel of a global empire. Taking readers on a tour from the splendid galleries of Whitehall deep into the dingy alleyways of East End, Bucholz and Ward explore London’s pivotal role as a harbinger of modernity.

We’re kicking off our jam-packed Book Club schedule with a Q&A with the authors, as well as a Facebook photo contest, where we invite readers to share their favorite photo of London and tell us why. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news, since we’ll have exclusive blog posts from our authors each week, slideshows, and trivia contests; we’re also excited to launch our Pinterest board, which will be updated regularly. 

So check back regularly! Share your thoughts with other book club readers on Facebook or Twitter, using the hashtag #cambridgeideas.

SPECIAL SALE! As a special offer for book club members, get 30% off this month's book pick by using the code London. You'll also get the discount on several related titles below, for further reading.