DAY after day, residents and tourists would make the same inquiry. Do you have a concise history of York? Eventually, a group of booksellers at Waterstone's began to realise that maybe they had discovered a gap in the market.

They endeavoured to do something about it. Over a pint or two in the Black Swan, Peasholme Green, it was decided. Between them, they would produce the book that York residents and visitors were crying out for.

Unlike many pub commitments, this one was acted upon. It helped that the team has expertise in publishing. Antonia Evans, a freelance writer and editor, Tim Hebbert, a trainee nurse, Sian Jay, an administrator, Matt Lund, a researcher and Chris Summerville, who has published two books on Napoleonic history, all worked or still work at Waterstone's.

They recruited actor and author Mike Bennett, who runs the Richard III Museum in Monk Bar, and set about researching what was to become The York Book.

Eighteen months of dedicated research, writes and rewrites, artistic fall-outs, fun and sheer hard work later, the book arrived on the shelves today (no need to guess which shop got it first: Waterstone's).

The book is a triumph. Set out in an A-Z format, none of the 750 entries is longer than 200 words. It is a pocket sized powerhouse, an encyclopaedia of the history of York from Roman times to the Millennium Bridge.

Each entry is carefully cross-referenced, so the reader might start with Judi Dench before taking a detour to York's Strays via the Freedom Of The City and end up at Zeppelin Raids after a quick stop at Knavesmire.

It opens with Aaron of York (c1180-1268), a leading member of the city's Jewish community, and finishes at the Zouche Chapel at York Minister. On the way you discover all manner of fascinating characters, anecdotes, architecture and a wealth of basic history.

Clearly a labour of love, none of the team of contributors knew what they were letting themselves in for when they embarked on the project.

They went to great lengths to make it as comprehensive and accurate as possible. Mike, for example, found himself cycling around Acomb to take details from war memorials. But it was another moment when he realised the book was taking over his life. "I was driving across Skeldergate Bridge. Then the guy behind drove into the back of me.

"The reason I had braked was because I was looking up and thinking, 'is that a gas light or not?'"

Luckily no one was hurt. (And no, it wasn't a gas light.)

"What we wanted at the end of the day was a book that would appeal to residents as much as to outsiders," said Chris. It was also, he said, his way of "doing something for York", the city of his birth.

Along the way, they all learned many new things about the city.

Antonia, who took on the mighty task of editing the book, said that when friends visit her, she can now answer their questions about York's history without resorting to bluster.

All six authors agree that this is only the first edition of the York Book. They are actively encouraging readers to contact them with omissions or suggestions that will be taken up in the next edition. Eventually they hope to bring out a bigger, illustrated version, or perhaps one on CD Rom. But for now they are just delighted to see a great pub idea turned into impressive reality.

Here's a lucky dip into

The York Book:

As well as being a pioneer in the field of telescopic lenses, Thomas Cooke (1807-1868) invented a steam carriage that could travel at 15mph.

"However," the book reports, "apart from having numerous crashes, the carriage was rendered useless by an imposed steam limit of four miles per hour, and was retired in 1872."

Hangman William "Mutton" Curry (c1765-1841), a former sheep thief, despatched dozens of fellow criminals at York Castle or Baile Hill. He often bungled the operation, due to his liking for gin. On one occasion "he managed to fall through the trap door along with the five men he was executing, sustaining, luckily for him, nothing worse than a few bruises".

The Great Yorkshire Train Robbery was an unsolved crime from 1867. "A train left the railway station with the pay for the North Eastern Railway officials in the guard's van at the rear of the train. It made two stops just outside the city yet when it reached Strensall the guard's van was no longer attached.

"It was found down the line though the confused guard had no idea what had happened. The money was never recovered and no one was ever apprehended."

After overthrowing his cousin Richard II in 1399, Henry Bolingbroke became Henry IV. He marched on York after Archbishop Scrope's rebellion "vowing to 'wipe it off the face of the earth' if the city resisted.

"At Bishopthorpe he was met by a crowd of 'barefoot and ungirt' (without belts) citizens with nooses around their necks as a sign of submission, who fell to their knees and begged for mercy. The furious king sent them home and for a year he saw that York was ruled directly by royal governors."

William "Swiftnicks" Nevison (1639-1684), the York Book recounts, was a Yorkshire highwayman whose nickname was bestowed by Charles II. "The dramatic ride in one day from London to York in 1676, as recounted by Daniel Defoe, was made by Nevison, if anyone, rather than Dick Turpin.

"The purpose of the legendary ride was to establish an alibi, as he had been witnessed committing a robbery at dawn in London.

"Nevison asked the Lord Mayor of York, who was enjoying a game of bowls on the green behind St Mary's Abbey, for the time. This alibi proved successful and he was cleared."

Under the catch-all heading Smells, the York Book reports that "a succession of monarchs commented upon York's plentiful smells. The moat of the Castle was used as a rubbish tip, the gutters of the Shambles ran red with blood and offal from the butchers' shops, the cattle and horse markets added to the problem, while sewage was simply thrown into the narrow streets from the upper storeys."

The York Book is published by Blue Bridge, price £7.99. It is available in Waterstone's, York, with other stockists to follow.

Updated: 11:39 Monday, November 04, 2002