Talbot takes us on a tour of Sunderland from the Cretaceous to the current day, and does much of it linking history with Alice and Lewis Carroll. This book has everything in both a good and bad way. I thoroughly enjoyed the many historical tidbits (especially related to art and popular culture), and he does an incredible job of linking things in history; however, some of these linkages detract from the flow of the work, and seem to be included just to name drop a famous Mackem.

Although I consider this work incredible in its depth, scope, and style, it didn’t keep my interest, and I found myself rushing through certain sections such as descriptions of how people were related to Alice Liddell or Charles Lutwige Dodgson. I think a thorough reading of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass might’ve gotten me more interested in this. Still, if you are interested in English history and Sunderland in particular, this is the book for you. If you enjoy genealogical studies this may be right up your ally. If you are enchanted by Alice and her mythos, read this book!