Greenwich

No more than a couple of square miles in area, the historical center of Greenwich is the birthplace of classical architecture in England, the spiritual home of its maritime past, a royal retreat, and now site of the Millennium Dome. It is also the place where the heavens were first comprehensively mapped out, where the most important chronometer in history was tested--John Harrison''s H-4 of Longitude fame--and where the world''s prime meridian runs across an ordinary pavement. Greenwich is Charles Jennings erudite, highly readable account of this most intriguing of places, exploring a history that is baffling, extraordinary, and genuinely unique. Charles Jennings was born in London and educated at Oxford University; he is the author of Up North, People Like Us, and Father''s Race.