In the City

A dense and colourful account of one of the most vibrant musical centres in the world, In the City almost puts you on that train to London

Guardian

(An) exhilarating new history of the music that defines the capital

Evening Standard

Du Noyer's crowning achievement with In the City, however, is to tie all the strands together ever so neatly without affecting a smug resolution. Its a celebration of the city's music through the centuries, for sure, but its more than just that

Irish Times

Du Noyer digs impressively deep for insight ... it evokes London as a place of converged cultures, found sounds and infinite possibilities

Metro

[4 stars] All the sounds of the Smoke

Mojo

A bit like Peter Ackroyd's work, only you can whistle along

Observer

Paul Du Noyer's superb new book

Word Magazine

The first book properly to anatomise the popular music of our capital is a mighty achievement - and a cracking read. Du Noyer unravels the threads that link Elizabethan balladry to Britpop, bhangra and beyond, constructing a seamless social history that pays as much heed to Gilbert and Sullivan as Small Faces. Mapping the music halls of the East End, the ballrooms of Mayfair and the basement clubs that housed renegade bands, his book is a hymn to a metropolis whose musical vigour lies in its with, its ruthlessly competitive commercial spirit and passion for riotous fun. An engrossing story, beautifully told by and expat Liverpudlian who doesn't miss a trick.

The Sunday Times