Almost a Legend – John Fry, Leading Reformer of General Practice

The title of this book would suggest that the reader would need to be in London and have a strong pair of walking boots at the ready. However while the book does provide a walking guide, it also makes an excellent read in its own right. This is because the author provides a fascinating insight into the historical development of healthcare which is relevant not only in London but in the country as a whole. The author Nick Black is well qualified to provide this as his “day job” is Professor of Healthcare Services Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has many talents to draw on in the book and not only writes well for example describing the emerging Soho as a “foreign land in a sea of Englishness” but also has a discriminating eye for the architectural merits of the buildings he describes. The book is well illustrated with many photographs and historical prints that allows the reader to take a virtual tour if he or she is not able to visit the capital.