The Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London, in September 1666, is one of those events forever etched in the collective psyche. It is on the national curriculum and is constantly revisited through new documentaries, books, articles, and through other media outlets. Although David Lassman’s book covers the main points of the fire – from its outbreak in a bakery in Pudding Lane, to its supposed demise at Pie Corner, along with such events as the destruction of St. Paul’s – the author goes deeper into the stories of many caught up in this catastrophic occurrence, revealing a more human side to those affected by the fire that is often overlooked. Through the words and eyewitness accounts of many who lived through it – Pepys, Evelyn, Taswell – as well as extensive research through contemporary resources into the fire itself, a picture of human resilience emerges. One that saw the populace of London brought to its very knees by perhaps the greatest natural calamity ever to inflict itself on the City of London and yet one that saw it rise to rebuild itself again and lay the foundations for the modern-day metropolis. Through this journey, the author also reveals the truth behind many of the myths that have grown up around The Great Fire of London, as well as putting the Fire into the wider context of the day to discuss whether accident or arson, to give possibly the definitive account of this most famous of national disasters.