Help me find a childhood book

March 20, 2018 8:48 AM

I'm looking for a book I had as a child (1970/80s). It was a color illustrated children's book that showed the history of an English town from prehistoric to "modern" (1970s?) time. Each page had a scene showing the state of the town from prehistoric settlement to Roman town to medieval city, etc through to modern city. I have vague memories of the title being "Story of a town" or "Life of a town" but my Google-fo has failed me.
posted by jamtur01 to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

On mobile so I can't link, but could you be thinking of some Young Discovery Library books? There are a few that, were you to read them in sequence, would cover that topic.
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:55 AM on March 20, 2018

Was it an Usborne book? It looks like they published a history of Britain
posted by prize bull octorok at 8:56 AM on March 20, 2018

A Street Through Time?
posted by FencingGal at 8:59 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

We have a book called A Street Through Time by Dr. Anne Millard that I thought was probably the one, but I see there's one called A City Through Time that could also be it.
posted by Redstart at 9:01 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

My first thought was David Macaulay's City, but it doesn't have the time-travelling bit.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:06 AM on March 20, 2018

Best answer: John S. Goodall's The story of an English village?

WorldCat Summary:
Shows the growth of an English village from a medieval clearing to the urban congestion of the present day as seen from the same viewpoint approximately every hundred years.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:31 AM on March 20, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Posted wrong summary, wanted Amazon's description for Goodall's book: This picturemac with a half-page that alters the scene, shows the changes in an English village as it develops from a clearing in medieval times to a modern town. The road becomes a street; a house is seen from the same viewpoint at intervals of a century; providing a wordless social history lesson.

Earliest copyright is 1978.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:35 AM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: That's it! The story of an English village. Oh awesome. Thank you so much.
posted by jamtur01 at 9:42 AM on March 20, 2018

Ah Iris Gambol beat me to it, but I came in to say the same - I loved this book as a kid!
posted by penguin pie at 4:16 PM on March 20, 2018