Twenty-three writers, poets and urban cartographers have been brought together in this book to share their knowledge and affinity with London's slopes. There are natural peaks and artificial mountains plus 'ghost hills' long gone from back streets. Some are in fields yet there are also tube station steps and tall buildings so the interpretation is wide.

Many of the writers chose to walk from the bottom of the 'mount' to the top and describe that journey.

Walking, running, exertion, and exercise are common themes.

This anthology is curated by poet Tom Chivers and academic Martin Kratz. It is published by independent publisher Penned in the Margins based in East London.

There is some beautiful language used in this book, making it a delight to read. It's also quite a history lesson too as each writer has done some impressive research. Who knew there were plans for an Eiffel Tower like structure in north London in the 1890s? It would have been taller that The Shard.

Joe Dunthorne points out that The Shard is the first and only building to obscure sightlines of St. Paul's Cathedral (from Primrose Hill). Martin Kratz climbed Richmond Hill where there is a telescope on King Henry's Mound trained on that protected view of St Paul's Cathedral ten miles away where he struggled to get a clear photo as "cranes hung in over the dome, like youngsters photobombing a picture".

You can feel the sizzling frustration from Dunthorne as he goes up The View From The Shard and finds no cafe for those visitors as he states "the architects have been careful to separate those who can afford to look at The View from those who can afford to own it."

Dunthorne also describes a fantasy world where "Zone One" is a spaceship that will take off when it has ejected all of the poor people from within its boundaries. A mischievous nod towards the high rents in central London these days meaning only the wealthy can afford to stay in the center of the city.

Mary Paterson, writing about Denmark Hill, touches on the darker side of city life but most keep the story upbeat.

Many just wax lyrical about the views. Gareth E. Rees writes about Spring Hill and says, "In the East End of London, people crave height. Some for the brief feeling of liberty which comes with seeing far out into the distance, so unusual in a claustrophobic world of Victorian terraces, Brutalist estates and tower blocks. For others, it's not the height but the falling from that height which is the pleasure. The letting go."

Certainly, when you live in a densely populated city it is a delight to see space and that's what these heights can offer although Sarah Butler, writing about Dartmouth Park Hill, says, "I would be struck by the fact that London stretched right out to the horizon and as far left and right as I could see. Do the equivalent in Manchester, and you can see where the city ends, the edges fading into fields. London has no edges you can see, at least from any of the hills it offers."

Liz Cookman, writing about Lavender Hill, described the area as a "glacial dump" as it was formed during the Ice Age. "The pleasure in higher ground usually lies in perspective, the comfort one gets from feeling small against the vastness of the landscape. The chance to, as Robert Macfarlane puts it, 'look down on a city I usually look across.' "

I had never considered how some hills and mounts are clearly man-made as an answer to moving building debris. Cover the rubble with turf and we soon forget what was there before and simply enjoy the new terrain. David Cooper, writing about Telegraph Hill, mentions "the manmade elevations of central London" which reminds us of that undulating skyline.

A few pointers threw me off-course: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is mentioned as the burial place of Christ (by Tom Chivers while writing about Snow Hill). I think an earlier version of the building was supposed to include some of the rock from Christ's burial site but I don't think we get any bigger claim to his final resting place than that.

Tamir Yoseloff, writing about Mount Pleasant, refers to the Royal Mail car park there as "one of the last remaining undeveloped WWII bomb sites in central London" which is actually proven to be untrue but what it is true is that it will soon be on the "tourist route" when the Post Office Railway eventually opens to the public.

Matt D. Brown, writing about Windmill Hill, introduced me to a street renamed a long time ago but with plenty of hidden history. It's not even a hill now but there are signs today to its past. In his chapter you'll find out why there's an archer on the side of this building.

It's no real surprise that a book conceived and edited by a poet will have poetic prose and, I'll admit, there were a few words used by these writers that had me reaching for the dictionary but I didn't find it alienated me from the text. I found this a really enjoyable read and it's introduced me to new areas and left me wanting to explore more.

Title: Mount London: Ascents in the Vertical City
Author: Tom Chivers & Martin Kratz (editors)
Published: May 2014
Pages: 216
Format: Hardback
RRP: £12.99
Publisher: Penned in the Margins

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.