Rachel Kolsky – författare

The South Bank has become one of London's most popular cultural destinations. Now a recognised brand, the South Bank is situated on the Thames Bank path which links Richmond in the west with the Thames Barrier (and beyond) to the east. This new book concentrates on the most visited section, the stretch between Vauxhall Bridge and Tower Bridge.Contained within this single 3-mile route is an abundance of historically and architecturally significant buildings which create a fascinating history of the area, from the postmodernist ‘secret’ headquarters of MI6 at Vauxhall, past the tomb of William Bligh, a stone’s throw from St Thomas’s Hospital, to the modern attractions of the London Eye and Sea Life Aquarium (housed in the former LCC/GLC building). There is also the grand railway termini of Waterloo and London Bridge, alongside churches, the Royal Festival Hall (the only local survivor from the 1951 Festival of Britain), industrial heritage sites at Oxo Tower, Hay's and Gabriel’s wharves and Tate Modern plus contemporary steel and glass with the Shard and City Hall. Alongside these landmark buildings, the authors also include many ‘out of the way’ buildings and quirky ‘Did you know’ facts, benefiting from original research by Rachel Kolsky through her work as a London Blue Badge Guide, accompanied by Louis Berk’s professional-standard photography.London’s South Bank in 50 Buildings explores the history of this fascinating stretch of the city through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place in this part of London over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in or have an interest in the country's capital.

London’s North Bank in 50 Buildings highlights the remarkable buildings bordering the north side of the River Thames between Vauxhall Bridge and Tower Bridge. Interspersed with instantly recognisable landmarks such as Tate Britain, the Palace of Westminster, Charing Cross station, the Savoy Hotel and the Tower of London, the authors also reveal many overlooked architectural treasures including the ICI and Unilever HQs, Millbank Tower, ‘Big Benzene’, Trinity House, and even a cabmen’s shelter.What links all of these buildings are their fascinating origins and eye-catching architectural details. New research by award-winning London Blue Badge guide Rachel Kolsky combined with photographer Louis Berk’s perceptive images brings you a refreshing new perspective on riverside London.Perfectly complementing the authors’ companion volume London’s South Bank in 50 Buildings, this book explores not only the streetscape but also the history of this absorbing stretch of London, highlighting changes that have taken place over the centuries and continue to take place to this day. It will appeal to all those with an interest in the city, residents and visitors alike, who enjoy walking alongside London’s river highway eager to make new discoveries.

Do you want to discover where Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky attended the London Congress of the future Communist party of Russia, or visit a rural idyll at the heart of Whitechapel? Who was Tommy Flowers and where was Joseph Merrick first seen by Dr Frederick Treves? Why are there artworks on the Spitalfields pavements and maidens’ faces decorating so many walls? What are the secrets behind the graceful but unadorned Georgian building façades?In Secret Whitechapel Louis Berk and Rachel Kolsky take you on a journey through the lesser-known sights of the area, telling the extraordinary stories of the people that lived there and the events surrounding them. Spanning the history of Whitechapel from the seventeenth century to the modern day and illustrated with both archive and contemporary images, this book brings to life one of London’s most fascinating areas.

Women's London is the only guidebook that focuses on the women who have shaped London through the centuries and the legacy they have left behind. This new book provides the perfect opportunity to explore sights, statues, plaques and buildings associated with famous and some not so famous women who have left their mark on London's heritage, culture and society. Their stories include scientists and suffragettes, reformers and royals, military and medical pioneers, authors and artists, fashion and female firsts ... and more. The author, a popular London tour guide and lecturer, specialises in women's history and has provided a series of original self-guided walking tours taking you to historic areas where important women lived, worked and are commemorated. Illustrated with new full-colour photography and specially commissioned maps, Women's London will inspire visitors and Londoners alike to discover how much London owes to women.