Carradice, Phil The People's Story of the Great Fire of London

The Destruction of England's Capital City

The Great Fire of London, which destroyed much of the English capital in the autumn of 1666, was one of those defining events that stand out in history, fascinating yet repulsive because of the damage and destruction they caused. The story of the fire, which began in the early hours of Sunday, 4 September, has been told many times. Phil Carradice's retelling of the disaster differs in that it focuses primarily on the people involved. From Thomas Bloodworth, the inept Lord Mayor, to diarists Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, to suspected arsonist Robert Hubert and Puritan predictors of disaster such as Humphrey Smith, all these people were eyewitnesses to the Great Fire. Their views and descriptions make the book a compelling read. The book does not necessarily give reasons and causes for the fire. Rather, it examines how people reacted to what was, in reality, the greatest challenge of their lives. Heroes, cowards and villains are vividly portrayed. King Charles and his brother James, the Duke of York, are presented only in a positive light, leaving the reader wondering how and why James went from being the hero of the hour to a villain when he became king after his brother's death. The rise of anti-Dutch and anti-French sentiment, the panic that gripped the population as they tried to flee the ruined city, the scale and scope of the disaster, and the gradual reconstruction of London are all covered by Phil Carradice in his easy-to-understand and elegant style. Historical facts and individual characterisations make this book a captivating and accurate read.