The London Problem

"Brown’s concise, fact-filled meditation on The London Problem seeks to dispel some of the myths that motivate this antipathy." * Times Literary Supplement *
"Far from being a simple screed decrying the messy – and unquestionably imperfect – metropolis, the book carefully dissects the long feud between an aggrieved country and its much-maligned capital. . . . Brown lucidly and expertly unpicks the untruths, spin and bluster that make many in the ’burbs bemoan the Big Smoke." * Monocle Minute *
"Concise yet hugely informative. . . For anyone (Londoner or not) who wants to avoid the myths about the capital and engage in an informed and constructive debate about fixing regional inequality, reading The London Problem would be an excellent place to start." * On London *
"If you want a book packed full of useful soundbites, supported by footnotes for when your facts are challenged at the dinner table, or want to get a clearer understanding of the issues, then this is a refreshingly digestible book to read." * ianVisits blog *
"The London Problem does not deny the strength of anti-London sentiments but locates responsibility for such views in the long-term failure of government regional policy and the degree to which the UK is a highly centralized state. The book is a welcome corrective to some of the unjustified anti-London sentiments that have captured certain sections of political and public opinion." * The London Journal *
"Aziz BineBine’s book about his own incarceration, which lasted eighteen years, is an intimate memoir that nonetheless forces us beyond the prison gates to consider a century of turmoil in Morocco and the rise of the dungeon culture to which he fell prey." * London Review of Books *
"As post-covid London faces a suddenly uncertain future, we can welcome a sensible and refreshing balancing of its weaknesses and strengths. This book's message is clear, that Britain is about to need London's strengths more than ever." -- Simon Jenkins