The city of London has one of the strongest unbroken traditions of livery companies in the world. Over one hundred companies, some six centuries old, maintain strong, colourful, beneficial, traditional and independent lives, and many of them have beautiful halls. This book traces the history of the guilds and liveries. The author compares the guilds of Britain with those of Europe and describes each of the City guilds, their halls, history, traditions, work and influence.About the authorJohn Kennedy Melling is a lecturer, historian, broadcaster and critic, playwright and author. He is a former editor of The Liveryman magazine. This new expanded edition is in the ‘Discovering’ handbook format.