5.0 out of 5 stars and this book charts the rise of a man and a family in a volatile world and tells the tale of what has to be one of the great su

J. · 25 March 2017

In the age of Trump it’s interesting and even chastening to look back and see what constituted the much-vaunted modern virtue of entrepreneurism over 150 years ago. Arguably the 19th century Anglo-Saxon city was as much a crucible of violent and sweeping change as the global technological revolution of today, and this book charts the rise of a man and a family in a volatile world and tells the tale of what has to be one of the great success stories of Victorian London, as a man of comparatively humble origins took advantage of the new opportunities opening in the world of retail as well as the possibilities for personal social mobility.In the middle of the 19th century Charles Henry Harrod was a small-time shopkeeper with shops in the Borough Market and, later, in Cable Street in the East End docklands dealing in drapery, grocery and that burgeoning commodity, tea. We must imagine him jostling along, trying to make a living in a noisy, rough, competititive, corrupt and high-risk business environment. As Robin Harrod, a direct descendent of the founder of Harrods, is not afraid to tell us, his great great grandfather was himself not immune to corruption and was charged with receiving stolen goods and sentenced to transportation to Van Dieman’s Land. The thrilling story of this and how he was extricated from this fate and was able to go on and lay the foundations for what was to become Harrods of Knightsbridge is one of the many stories told in this fascinating book that throws light on the fluid mid and late Victorian urban world of commerce and society.While it is by its nature and authorship a family memoir, Robin Harrod extrapolates from the stories of his forbears from the early 19th century up to the sale of the store in 1891 a wider historical context fully backed up by painstaking and impartial historical research which makes this an engrossing and informative read for anyone with even a passing interest in Victorian London and its social and commercial realities.Jo

4.0 out of 5 stars A New Look at the People Behind the World Famous Store by a Descendant of the Founder.

P. · 20 February 2017

Books about Harrods have been written before, but never by one as closely linked with the Harrod family as Robin is. He has had the advantage of being able to speak to many of the founder's living descendants, and of accessing family archives which have not been available to other Harrods historians. Along the way he has unearthed some new, fascinating and amusing facts about both the family and the store which has recounted in an accessible style.I do have some sympathy, however, with Duckies' view that it was perhaps 'too much family' for the casual reader, even though it was the family which made the store what it was, which is why I only gave it four stars, but if you are prepared to set that aside there are enough amazing anecdotes and revelations about the store and its personalities to make this book worth reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars What an excellent and intriguing read about the Harrod family

C. · 25 February 2017

What an excellent and intriguing read about the Harrod family. Apart from the interesting facts about the growth of the store, London, other businesses and families in those times, anyone wanting to delve into their own genealogy will get a great understanding from the depths that Robin has been to in his searches. Not everyone manages to find, and meet, so many family members over the years. It was amazing how quickly the store was built up and flourished again after the terrible fire – all down to the capability, steadfastness and sheer hard work of a great role model, Charles Digby Harrod.Certainly a fascinating read. Interesting to also read about Charles’ children and how sadly none of them took the business on – the most intriguing being Beatrice Martha whom nobody liked. I wonder why when she had such caring parents. I think there is another book in the making there, Robin!

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating history of the original Harrods family

A.C. · 2 March 2017

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is well written and easy to to read. Robin Harrod paints a fascinating picture of his Harrod ancestors and the early days of the 'Jewel'. The book is not only about the Harrod family but delves deeply into the social history of the 19th century and how it affected trade and commerce. For anyone interested in genealogy this book is a wonderful example of how to go about it. A family tree is one thing but understanding how your ancestors lived and how they fitted into the fabric of the times makes it all the more interesting. The research required to get at the truth and the many dead ends one has to go down when dealing with incomplete information are quite daunting. By his scholarship Dr. Harrod has been able to write the definitive account of the origins of the store. We have had TV's 'Mr. Selfridge'; surely a Harrods saga, if this book is anything to go on, would be even more captivating!

4.0 out of 5 stars A History of Harrods, one of the most famous department stores in the world

s. · 20 February 2017

This book has been so thoroughly researched that it a very significant piece of history of one of the most famously known department stores in the world I bought this book because I know Dr Robin Harrod as a friend and ex colleague and have heard him talking about the research he has undertaken on this over the last few decades. To distill what I have always thought as two PhD theses into about 250 pages must have been difficult. Dr Harrod and The History Press are to be congratulated in succeeding in this task. The last sentence of the chapter entitled The Epilogue is "What a shame, though, that I was not the fifth generation of the family in charge!" I am sure the exclamation mark indicates this is tongue in cheek If Robin Harrod had been in charge I suspect this book would never have been written and the people of Cheltenham would not have benefited from the care of a very good General Practitioner.

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb read

C. · 22 February 2017

This book is extremely interesting and is superbly researched. Harrods is iconic in London and is a 'must' to visit for anyone new to the city and for residents too.To read about the history of the founding family and the store itself in such detail was really worthwhile and I am more than happy to recommend it to anyone.CT

Five Stars

I.V. · 25 March 2017

Awesome read. Very informative