The principal author of this book, Nick Holder, sets out as his purpose “to interpret the landscape of the London friaries and the ways in which the friary spaces were used by friars and citizens” (6). It is largely a study of the material, physical aspects of the friaries. Apart from the mention of a few priors and, in Jens Röhrkassten's contribution, friar scholars and teachers, we do not encounter the friars themselves. What we do encounter is an excellent discussion of the environment in which the friars lived their lives.

The skillful use of sources has made it possible to reconstruct the establishment and growth of the friaries. These sources are documentary (not plentiful), archaeological (95 excavations with many unpublished site reports), and archival (with some original records). Throughout, a large number of plans of friaries, tables of appropriate information, and photographs serve to make the details more accessible.

The first part is a friary-by-friary account of how each house developed from simple chapels in most cases to magnificent churches in large urban precincts. Three chapters describe the Dominicans (Black Friars) in their first settlement in Holborn, their relocation about 1280 to within the city walls, which were moved to accommodate them, and lastly, and briefly, to Smithfield in the 1550s. The best documented are the Franciscans (Grey Friars), yet with scant archaeological evidence. They built the largest church in the city after Saint Paul's Cathedral. The Carmelites (White Friars) built their friary outside the city walls to the west, their precinct extending from Fleet Street to the Thames. Unlike the other friary churches, which perished in the dissolution of the religious houses, the church of the Austin Friars survived to modern times (as The Dutch Church), only to be destroyed in the blitz of 1940. The Crossed Friars (sometimes called the Crutched Friars) established London's smallest friary near the Tower of London. Unlike these friars, the Sack Friars and the Pied Friars did not long survive the reform of the Second Council of Lyon (1274), which forbade more recent orders of friars from accepting new Members.

The second part, which contains contributions by other scholars, is titled “London Friars and Their Friaries,” although, as has been mentioned, there is little about the friars. Mark Samuels, with great skill, shows how simple architectural fragments can be used to broaden our knowledge of the architecture of the friary buildings. Similarly, Ian Betts does a careful study of extant floor tiles and provides references to tiles found in other religious houses. Jens Röhrkasten, whose own more general work on London friars is well known, takes us through the daily life of prayer and the study system in the friaries. And the popularity of the friaries as burial places is discussed by Christian Steer; well over a thousand persons were buried in friary churches, not only royals and aristocrats but also ordinary Londoners.

The principal author in this second part shows how the friaries got their water – the Grey Friars amazingly via a one and one quarter mile long conduit from Bloomsbury to Newgate—although there is no discussion of waste disposal. He also gives an analysis of the economy of the friaries, “a precarious state” (256) with income just exceeding expenditures. And, finally, the section ends with the last days with a description not only of the surrender to the Crown but also of the fate of the friary properties.

Two further points. Some readers may wonder about the frequent use of the word “monastic” in reference to the friars, since this word is normally used to refer to monks and not friars. Also, as described here, the impression might be taken that the nave was used exclusively for preaching, whereas there is ample evidence that Masses were said at the altars in the nave and that the public very frequently attended.

Well thought out, intelligently conceived, and clearly written, this book will take its place among the standard works on the English friars. Students of the religious life as well as students of London will welcome its publication.