Southwark is one of London's oldest and most intriguing neighbourhoods; a hotbed of culture and commerce that has played a major part in the development of the capital. Its streets were familiar to Shakespeare and Dickens, both of whom surely drank, schemed and dreamed in the many inns and taverns that abounded. This is where Chaucer's pilgrims began their long march to Canterbury, and many centuries later it was a major terminus for the many coaches that served the south of England. Four hundred years ago Londoners flocked to the area to watch the latest Shakespeare play at the Globe, or perhaps to visit one of the area's numerous brothels. Bear-baiting and dogfighting were popular attractions, too. People still pour into the area, although these days in search of more innocent pleasures such as high art at the Tate Modern, the foodie haven that is Borough Market or to catch a performance at the recreated Globe on Bankside. The one thing that has remained the same across the centuries is the diversity and quality of the area's many pubs. Southwark Pubs offers an historical guide to some of the borough's most fascinating hostelries, from London's last surviving galleried coaching inn to the Thameside tavern that waved the Pilgrim Fathers off on their first voyage to America. There is a drop of liquid London history for the lover of ale and anecdote alike.

Clerkenwell and Islington are two of London's most historic districts; areas where radicalism once thrived and heavy industry flourished, and where poverty and lawlessness were commonplace. This diverse and colourful history can be traced in the area's many pubs. The ancient parish of Clerkenwell, located just outside the City of London's walls, was historically the home of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Later, it became famous for its watchmaking and printing industry. Dickens knew Clerkenwell, and it features in Oliver Twist, while it was here that Vladimir Lenin sowed the nascent seeds of Communism and in Little Italy Garibaldi was welcomed as a hero. But revolution and picking pockets is thirsty work, and the area's pubs were plentiful and varied. Islington, further north, was once a country retreat far away from the noise and industry of the city, but today this once solidly working-class area, now favoured by the rich and the famous, is boisterous and busy and boasts a mixture of traditional hostelries, gastropubs and craft beer bars. Clerkenwell and Islington Pubs takes an historical, and sometimes contemporary, look at some of the area's most interesting watering holes; drinking destinations that down the years have played host to a varied cast of characters that includes the likes of Samuel Pepys, Joe Orton, The Clash, U2, George Orwell and even James I.