XIV vek - odin iz samykh slozhnykh periodov istorii srednevekovogo Londona. Osobyy interes predstavlyaet poslednyaya chetvert' veka, kogda demokraticheskaya oppozitsiya, vozglavlyaemaya dreperami, merserami i yuvelirami, vystupila protiv oligarkhicheskogo rezhima viktuallerov, v pervuyu ochered', rybotorgovtsev i bakaleyshchikov. Apogey etogo dvizheniya nablyudaetsya v 1381-1383 gg., to est' v period vosstaniya Uota Taylera, kogda blagodarya udachno slozhivsheysya obstanovke demokraty oderzhali verkh, a ikh lider - suknotorgovets Dzhon Nortgempton - stal merom stolitsy. V stolitse...