The Great Fire of London

By Stephen Porter

Book Overview

The Great Fire of London was the greatest catastrophe of its kind in Western Europe. Although detailed fire precautions and firefighting arrangements were in place, the fire raged for four days and destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, and 44 of the City of London's great livery halls. The great fire of 1666 closely followed by the great plague of 1665; as the antiquary Anthony Wood wrote left London "much impoverished, discontented, afflicted, cast downe." In this comprehensive account, Stephen Porter examines the background to 1666, events leading up to and during the fire, the proposals to rebuild the city, and the progress of the five-year program which followed. He places the fire firmly in context, revealing not only its destructive impact on London but also its implications for town planning, building styles, and fire precautions both in the capital and provincial towns.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0752450255
• ISBN13: 9780752450254
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: History Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

I Take Umbrage @ The Outrage--Kiddies Shouldn't Review Books!!

What's the problem with the first two reviewers??!! This comprehensively scoped book is written by a distinguished author about a major topic in English -- And American -- history (the reason colonial-era New England acquired so many buildings, humble as well as grand, of unusual beauty is due to widespread use of the London rebuilding guides, authored by major architects and shipped to the boonies after the reconstruction era ended). Sure, two thirds of the book's six chapters are about subsequent events, after a chapter on "Dangers and Precautions" and one on the Great Fire proper (how long, after all, can anyone go on describing a fire -- any fire?). These latter four chapters include: "Taking Stock"; "Preparations for Rebuilding"; "The Rebuilding"; and "Aftermath". The lattermost surveys such issues as the evolution of town planning, evolving building styles, and fire prevention precautions in both the capital and provincial towns. There are lots of well chosen and reproduced illustrations and diagrams, and an extensive bibliography; the shiny, mylar-covered boards are even printed like the colorful dust jacket. There are no free music CDs or sheets of bubble gum inside the rear cover, though....

Don't be fooled

Don't be fooled by the title, cover, or description; this book isn't about the fire of london at all. Which was good, because the fire of london is only marginally interesting and radiohead is a really great band. let me give a shout out to my boys at hf. peace.