Reading has a rich history going back well over a thousand years. It has
seen kings and queens making extended stays in the town (a king of
England is even buried there), meetings of Parliament, and pitched
battles fought for the control of the nation in its streets. In its time
it has been a nationally important centre of religious pilgrimage, a key
part of every new mode of transport - from canals and stagecoaches to
the railways and motorways - a manufacturing town whose products were
famous worldwide, and a leading centre for the high-tech industries of
tomorrow. Well-known local author Stuart Hylton takes the reader on an
alphabetical tour of this Berkshire town, looking in particular for the
amusing, offbeat and unexpected stories hidden within. Fully illustrated
with pictures from the past and present, A-Z of Reading is sure to
appeal to anyone who lives or works in the town.