"The story of the birth of modern London during the thirty years before the First World War has never been told. In this account, Stephen Inwood defines an era of unique character and importance by delving into the lives and textures of the booming city. He takes us - by hansom cab, bicycle, electric tram or motor bus - from the glittering new department stores of Oxford Street to the synagogues and sweat shops of the East End, from bohemian bars and gaudy music halls to the well-kept gardens of Edwardian suburbia."--BOOK JACKET.