Secret Liverpool - an Unusual Guide (Local Guides by Local People) (Secret Guides) Paperback – 30 Oct. 2019

If, like me, you love Liverpool, you will get a lot out of Mike Keating's excellent new guide to the more off-beat aspects of this glorious city. I lived there for five years in the 1970s and only left because the newspaper industry, for which I worked, moved all its national offices to London. Mike has lived there all his life and revels in its wit, its commitment and its eccentricities. Did you know, for instance, that Aintree's other circuit, for motor grand prix, weaves its way in and out of the steeplechase track? Or how to get into the Anfield Catacombs, where among other dead luminaries lies Michael Holliday, "the British Bing Crosby"?Mike writes stylishly about the Crown Street ventilation shaft, which provided air to the station of the same name from which Robert Stephenson made the first official railway journey (to Manchester); he takes you inside the Athenaeum Club, reveals the bust of Carl Jung (near the Cavern Club) and unearths the secret crimes of James Maybrick, the man whose wife was sentenced to death for poisoning him with arsenic stripped from wallpaper in their house.Interspersed with these and many other curiosities, are guides to lovely walks and rural treats, especially to the north of this city which rose to prosperity on the profits of the slave trade, the invention of the insurance industry and the creation of the golf handicap system.Much of the pleasure in this book is in the style and quality of writing that Keating brings to his subject. First class.

I bought this for my partner on Father's day (from our daughter!) and although he left his home city of Liverpool over 20 years ago, he is still a proud Scouser who loves his city. He hadn't heard of this book before, but as an alumni of the University of Liverpool - I read about it in one of the alumni publications and bought it months ago! He is looking forward to return to Liverpool and have a look for the secrets of the city that he may have missed when he lived there.

The book gave more information about places of interest around the city. Only problem was the small print size

Good read, very interesting.

Secret Liverpool by Michael Keating is a book that deserves to be read. It’s a delightful guide to well over one hundred often overlooked fascinating sights of interest in and around Liverpool that provides a wealth of information for any new visitor to Merseyside, for locals wanting to learn something new about their city or a lovely escape for any armchair tourist anywhere in the world.The author unveils all manner of curiosities including architectural wonders (like the historic Oriel Chambers), artworks of all types, parks, beaches (“the beach of bricks” in Crosby where much of the rubble from the Liverpool Blitz ended up) and cemeteries as well as moving historical peculiarities like the “leper’s squint” at All Saints Church.Every new page is like opening a surprise gift, from reading about the “lock ups”(small stone buildings where nuisance drunks would be put for the night to dry out) to the former homes of famous locals such as Wilfred Owen and Malcolm Lowry.The book is arranged in a highly readable format of two pages per topic. Beautiful color photographs (mostly taken by the author) compliment the text which is written in an honest, intelligent and often humorous style. Keating’s knowledge and enthusiasm for all things Liverpool and Merseyside shine through and he’s not shy about sharing his opinions or giving some laughs to the reader.Incredibly helpful is practical information such as opening times and directions. I should also mention that just about every sight is free to the public and accessible to visitors without cars via MerseyRail and/or foot.I have visited Merseyside many times and it holds great fascination for me as I was born there, yet every single page had something new for me. After reading Secret Liverpool I’m desperate to return and see some of these, for me, newly discovered “secrets “for myself.Whether you’re a born and bred Scouser or visiting Liverpool for the first time, get this book! You’ll not be disappointed.

Fabulous book covering many unknown nooks and crannies within the Liverpool area and its surrounding suburbs, with lots of interesting stories thrown in alongside quality photographs of each location (or item) covered.It makes a great companion volume to Joseph Sharples’ more formal guide to Liverpool, which covers the architecture of the city.I hope you find my review helpful.

Made my way round Merseyside during lockdown - tried to visit everything in the book. Did take me to some fabulous and hidden places . However few things impossible to access and others locations are incorrect

Im surprised the gentleman who wrote this book is from Liverpool. His writing feels to me like that of a 1970s country bumpkin or suburban curtain twitcher who would look down his glasses at the mention of such a city. The book would better be named Merseyside rather than Liverpool due to the inclusion of The Wirral, Southport and even Warrington. That is not Liverpool. The humour and style of writing is archaic, stuffy and cringey at best and does nothing to animate the information.The information itself is severely outdated in terms of opening times and prices. A short sighted decision on the authors part to include such detail.

Arrived in good time, intact and all correct