For many people, especially occasional visitors or those who have never visited, the name Henley-on-Thames conjures up images of Henley Royal Regatta, of relaxed afternoons by the Thames, of large houses with spacious lawns. For its residents, and residents of the surrounding villages, the dominant images are more likely to be of traffic jams, narrow pavements, supermarkets and late-night brawls. As David Whitehead reveals in Henley-on-Thames: A History, both views are, of course, far from complete and tend to hide the reality of a working and commuter town with a character that reflects the impact of several centuries of history.