One of the fastest growing cities in Europe, Leeds has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a hamlet of thatched buildings at a crossing point of the River Aire. The Cistercians of Kirkstall helped its growth; then the market town of Tudor times became, in succession, the world capital of the woollen cloth industry, the home of Victorian 'high-tech' industry and, more recently, a major financial centre. This book tells the story of the people of Leeds and its transformations over the past millennium, in an entertaining and enthusiastic style.