London Taxis at War

Book excerpt: Alf Townsend is a London cabbie with over forty years' experience. In his new book, he gathers together for the first time the complete history of London's cabs in wartime--not just in the Second World War when cabs were converted for other uses (firefighting, ambulances, armored personnel carriers, etc), but also in the First World War, when the cabbies had to endure hundreds of zeppelin attacks by night. With more than 90 photographs supporting Alf's lively and readable text, this book is sure to reveal a hitherto unknown aspect of the capital in wartime.