If your idea of historic London is tired tours of self-important monuments or staring at dusty artefacts in museums while your thoughts drift to lunch, this opinionated guide is here to change your mind. With wit and wisdom, Sheldon Goodman has assembled more than 50 of the best things to do and see to immerse yourself in the rich history of the capital, from mudlarking along the Thames to walking the hidden corridors above St Paul's, shopping in London's oldest cigar store or visiting where the grisly remains of traitors to the Crown were displayed on spikes.