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The Dreadful Judgement
The True
Story of the Great Fire of London
by Neil Hanson
The Great Fire of London,
in 1666, was one of the most catastrophic events ever to
hit the nation's capital. The previous year the city had
suffered a grievous and prolonged epidemic of the Black
Death, now known as the Great Plague,
causing the deaths of thousands.
It really did seem as if
London was cursed.
 At the time of the
Plague and the Great Fire, London was still an essentially
medieval city with narrow, unsanitory streets and overhanging
eaves on the mostly wooden buildings—perfect conditions
for the spread of disease and fire.
Neil Hanson's book, The Dreadful
Judgement, describes the conditions in the city just before
the fire broke out. He does this mainly through the eyes of
Thomas Farriner, the baker in whose shop the fire is thought
to have started. As
well as describing the spread of the fire, he gives us a
largely fictionalised account of what happened to Farriner
and his daughter during the fire. At times this does become
a little irritating because we know it is fiction in a book
that purports to give us the true story of the fire.
Having said that, Neil Hanson
describes the conditions leading up to the fire brilliantly.
He then goes on to give a chilling and vivid description
of the way the fire spreads, building by building, street
by street. He shows us the way people first of all tried
to preserve their own possessions and then their lives,
actions which ultimately hampered the few who tried to fight
the fire.
He also brings King Charles
II and his brother, the Duke of York, to life as he describes
their personal attempts to rally Londoners to halt the fire
and how they even joined in fire fighting.
This was an absolutely engrossing
book and as hard to put down as any novel. If you like history,
read this book.
Quick
Facts
Title: The
Dreadful Judgement - The True Story of the Great Fire of
London
Authors: Neil
Hanson
ISBN: 0552147893
Pages: 448
Publisher: Corgi
Books
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