First published in 1971 The London that was Rome is both a detective
story and a tale of buried treasure. Some years ago, Michael Harrison
set out to discover the truth about Roman London. Did it survive the
Saxon onslaught in the fifth century or (as many historians have
claimed) did it lie sacked, ruined, and abandoned for about a century
and a half? Searching for an answer, Harrison forged himself a new
'truth detecting' method of discovery; but even he could not anticipate
the immense success of this method.
With 'New Archaeology' he has not only recovered the street plan of
Roman London, but also replaced the buildings-temples, barracks, banks,
baths, picture-galleries, treasuries and so on - which lined those
streets. In many cases he has been able to name the streets and at the
same time vividly describe for us the social and economic life of a
London, which under the Caesars, ranked among the principal cities of
the Empire. This book is an interesting read for students of
archaeology, history, and for general readers interested to know about
London.