In 1953, Britain's new young queen, Elizabeth II, was on the throne and London was slowly recovering after six years of war and the destruction of many of its buildings. The original Short Guide to London was published by Blue Guides in that transformative year and now, sixty years later, a special reprint is being issued. Packed with original street and transport maps, floor plans of the major attractions and detailed descriptions of a city still largely in ruins, it paints an incredible portrait of an era and a city on the cusp of modernity.