‘Smells’ book tells how filth once flowed through our streets
BOOK OF THE WEEK SMELLS by Robert Muchembled (Polity £17.99, 260 pp) We are fortunate to live in a deodorised age, benefiting from hot water, flush lavatories, plumbed-in bathrooms, power showers, washing machines, mains drainage systems, soap, detergent and shampoo. Always excepting the odd tramp and the recent fad for beards, we are squeaky clean. … Read more