The best books about London to buy as Christmas gifts

'Londoners' is the ultimate love letter to the capital, and honestly, it’s just a really good read. Author Craig Taylor spent five years chronicling the stories of people living in the city, taking you from guardsmen at Buckingham Palace to the man planting trees along Oxford Street. An honest look at London living, this book will get you thinking about every person you pass on the tube, every shop owner and neighbour you never really think to speak to. And while not every story is a positive one, it never fails to entertain. 

From Soho’s legendary sex shops to massive nights out hosted by the likes of Pxssy Palace or Sink The Pink, London has a rich LGBTQ+ history running through its veins. Alim Kheraj explores the city’s leading bars, clubs, organisations and charities that cater to the community, as well as interviewing figureheads that shaped this part of the capital’s identity. Part of ACC Art Books' London series, this extensive guide is sure to make a lasting impression on any reader.

This book is a brilliant gift for history buffs. ‘Unseen London’ gives you an inside look into buildings you would never be able to see in the flesh. Have a nosey around iconic landmarks such as the Old Bailey, Battersea Power Station and Hampton Court Palace, with snappy bits of text helping to provide a little background into the history of each. Although, we should probably add the disclaimer not to try and break into any of these places once you’ve seen ‘em.

This book is sure to up the ante when it comes to pre-drinks at your mates house. Created with some of the most renowned mixologists in the capital, this collection of recipes will have even the most novice bartenders whipping up signature serves like it’s nobody’s business. Each tipple is inspired by the capital itself and comes from iconic haunts such as Mr Foggs Society Of Exploration and The Savoy, so you’re basically giving someone a taste of London with every sip (let’s just hope they don’t mess them up eh?).

If poems on the tube aren’t quite cutting it, this collection is sure to impress. A proper good gift for literary types, ‘Poems of London’ features stories of the city from the likes of Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett and Sylvia Plath, all the way through to Linton Kwesi Johnson, Fleur Adcock and Bernadine Evaristo. Touching on cultural moments, iconic landmarks and vibrant characters that make up the population, this is a vivid portrait of what the city is and used to be. 

Buying for someone obsessed with art? This photography guide is filled with images of London’s iconic Brutalist architecture. Split up into different boroughs, the book highlights buildings such as Trellick Tower, the Brunswick Centre and the Alexandra Road Estate as documented by Simon Philips. Better yet, its carefully mapped landmarks encourage you to go out and see the structures in real life, providing hours of entertainment once you’ve finished reading.

Buying for a foodie? This is the ultimate eat-your-way-around-London guidebook. Going beyond Michelin stars and celebrity chefs, this collection from Sir Terence Conran and Peter Prescott gets into the nitty-gritty of the capital’s dining scene. From humble chip shops to swish Mayfair haunts, it doesn’t matter what the venue is, ‘Eat London’ is about the dedication that goes into making the city's best food. It's sure to get tummies rumbling with pretty photography, in-depth tales and accounts from iconic restaurants such as A. Wong, Balthazar, Morito and The Palomar. 

You really can’t imagine life in London without a grime soundtrack. Dan Hancox's ‘Inner City Pressure’ is the perfect present for music-lovers looking to understand the genre, tracing its history back to council estates of the inner city and pirate radio stations. Drawing parallels between this modern youth revolution and the 70s punk era, while asking questions around its rising popularity in the pop sphere, this is a proper page-turner written by someone with a genuine love for the musical movement.

Get to know the spookiest stories and urban legends that make up London’s history. Stories like Lady Hatton selling her soul to the devil to achieve financial success come matched with the superstitions around ravens leaving the Tower of London. This book is creepy at times, and kind of funny at others, mainly because there’s a lot of ghost stories that the author Steve Roud doesn’t actually believe in. Nevertheless, this is probably the kind of gift you’d give someone obsessed with Buffy. 

A must for fashionistas, ‘Quant by Quant’ is a look into one of London’s most iconic cultural movements. Be transported back to the Swinging Sixes with legendary designer Mary Quant as your guide, taking you from the opening of her Kings Road flagship to the invention of the mini-skirt and overcoming snobbery in the industry. With its playful tone of voice, this book makes you feel like you’re really there in the moment with the woman herself. 

One of the newest releases from Merky Books, this novel by Jade LB is well worth the hype. Perfectly capturing 00s teenagehood in London, this coming-of-age story is a raw glance at the black British experience that acts as a time capsule with its nostalgic nods and text speak formatting (remember having to save credit?). Having originally broken the internet when it was published online in 2005, the story is now accessible in book form with the original script, a standard English rewrite and essays from the likes of Candice Carty-Williams.

We know our city is darn beautiful to look at, but this book helps to illustrate that even more. Instead of scrolling through Instagram looking for influencers outside pink pastry shops, turn to this gorgeous coffee table book by Emma J Page and Rachel Smith. This photographic tour of iconic facades spans everything from established stalwarts that have been going for centuries, right through to modern gems echoing the uber-cool neighbourhoods where they were founded. Perfect for finding quirky cafes, bookshops, designers and more, it inspires retail therapy that any reader can get behind.