I haven't read any, but a friend whose judgement I trust implicitly when it comes to book recommendations, has been on at me for ages to read Peter Ackroyd.
I'm cautious about Aykroyd, because I tried Lambs of London and it was TERRIBLE. But friends who have read his history of Britain (which is what I'm considering) think that is excellent.
Yes, Ackroyd is very hit and miss for me. I think his "Biography of London" (sorry I've forgotten the precise name) is fabulous, but the one about "London Under" was.... poor. I was so disappointed because the topic was fascinating (all the things London is built on: The underground, the old cemeteries, the layers of ancient buildings).
On the bright side, I guess if you don't like the first book you pick of his, fair chance you'll like something else he wrote. I would to recommend grabbing his books from the library, rather than buying.
I'm attempting Ackroyd's Albion right now. It's a slog but I am retaining interest. I just feel he's throwing out a lot of unnecessarily long words and he keeps quoting Old and Middle English without always translating. But it's definitely challenging me and that doesn't happen often. I want to read/listen to his Shakespeare biography and I'm eying a couple other books.
I've seen the movie adaptation for A Night to Remember, an accurate drama about the blunders that led to the Titanic disaster. Worth a read and a watch.
Decisions, decisions.
On the bright side, I guess if you don't like the first book you pick of his, fair chance you'll like something else he wrote. I would to recommend grabbing his books from the library, rather than buying.
BTW - love Walter Lord. My book coming out this year is about a boy on the Titanic :-)