Blogger’s Books: Robert Lordan

~ beetleypete

I am very happy to feature an award-winning blogger and writer, who I have been following for a long time now. If you have ever been to London, and hailed one of the iconic official taxis, the famous ‘Black Cabs’, you may well have been driven by Robert. In addition to picking up his passengers, and arranging expert tours of London’s sights, he writes about London with obvious delight, and great personal insight too. His site has had well over 1,000,000 views, that’s how good it is!

Here is his personal bio.

Robert Lordan was born in north-west London in 1980. He originally trained to become a secondary school English teacher but left that career path after becoming frustrated with the system. In 2005 he decided to undertake ‘The Knowledge of London’; the intense course which must be studied and passed in order to become a licensed London Taxi driver…. for Robert this took four and half years and involved undergoing no less than 27 verbal exams (which is about average!)

Robert has always loved London but studying the city in such detail has made him even more passionate. For the past few years he has maintained a blog, ‘View From the Mirror’ (www.blackcablondon.net) and has also written for ‘Time Out’, specialising in London’s quirky trivia and hidden history.

‘The Knowledge: Train Your Brain Like a Cabbie’ by Quercus Publishing is his first book. Using 50 authentic routes which apprentice cabbies are required to master, the book acts both as a guide to London and a presentation on numerous brain training techniques. Each route is beautifully illustrated by artist, Jamie Whyte and readers will also find an introduction detailing a history of The Knowledge and a glossary of cabbie’s slang terms.

Getting a licence to drive a cab in London is the most difficult thing to do, and harder than anywhere else in the world too. It requires years of dedication and intense study, alongside a huge amount of self-discipline. The next time you hail a cab on a London street, you can be sure to know that you are being driven by the best-qualified cabbies anywhere. As well as his entertaining blog, which can be found here, https://blackcablondon.net/ he also has another site, telling some fascinating stories of crimes associated with different parts of London, as well as all over the world. https://www.thecrimecompendium.com/

Rob’s new book is a treat for anyone interested in the painful and often humorous process of becoming a London cabbie, and is full of great illustrations too. It went straight onto my Amazon wish list, and will soon be on my bookshelf.

Naturally, it is available to buy online from all the usual places. Here are some links.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-knowledge/robert-lordan/9781786489692

Please treat yourself, by visiting both of Robert’s great sites, and discovering more about London in the process. You won’t be disappointed, I assure you. And if you are planning to visit London, and would like to book one of Robert’s personal and informative taxi tours, you can contact him here.
Contact

47 thoughts on “Blogger’s Books: Robert Lordan”

  1. I’ve now finished Robert Lordan’s The Knowledge: Train Your Brain Like A London Cabbie. After taking nearly 5 years qualifying on The Knowledge, and writing about London for a further 10 years, I didn’t think there was much to be learnt about the Capital. So I purchased this book, more out of support for a fellow cabbie’s first publication, than in expectation of learning anything new. What a surprise, not only does Robert Lordan write competently, he does it eruditely (he should after taking a degree in English), but who knew that a few adjacent roads in Highgate were named after Shakespearean characters? Or a nascent London airport was once in Cricklewood, and the site of England’s first fatal passenger plane accident? A wealth of information is to be found between the covers: dozens of aids to memorise information; glossary of cabbie slang; and literally hundreds of facts. I trust it won’t be long before his second London book is published. I uploaded much of this review to Amazon, and gave it 5-stars, as have 8 other reviewers.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks for confirming Robert’s skill as a writer, and expert on London too. I have yet to read the book myself, but look forward to it immensely.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  6. Awesome Post, Pete!💜 I will have to check out the author’s novel when I can.💙 I keep thinking of a certain story that has a cab involved or maybe someone worked for a cab company when I saw this pop up! Lol. My brain is random but this was a great feature post and I am so glad you shared this book and author with us!😀

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    1. Yes you can, Cindy. Book him using the ‘Contact’ link on the post, and he will give you a personal tour like no other you could buy! Mention my blog, of course! 🙂
      If that link doesn’t work, I will send you his email address.
      And if you read his book first, you can choose your favourite destinations, I’m sure.
      Best wishes, Pete. x

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. The cover is almost enough by itself to get me to buy the book: it is cool. Your posting is enough to push me over the edge. I would also like to check out his blog. How does one go about finding it?
    Warmest regards, Theo

    Liked by 1 person

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      1. Yes, thank you. All the links work. I did not ask my question very well. I tried a few roundabout ways to find his blog and could not other than the links you provided. I was trying to figure out how to find a blog without links. No matter.
        Warmest regards, Theo

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        Reply

  12. I am delighted to meet Robert, Pete. I hope his book will come out as a kindle edition, otherwise I will have to wait until I visit London next year April to get a copy.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, Robbie. On the Amazon UK site (via the link on the post) the Kindle edition is shown for sale.
      As someone who knows London, I am sure you will find it to be a delightful read.
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. In Nevada, one simply has to study the rules and regulations, and then take the test. It’s all quite simple and quickly done. Of course, all cab drivers must also pass a background check conducted by the police department.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, GP. Being an ‘official’ taxi driver in London is regulated strictly, as you can see in the book. I once thought about doing it myself, but doubted my dedication and stamina. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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