The Great Fire of London

A fascinating insight into one of history s greatest catastrophes. The Great Fire of London was the greatest catastrophe of its kind in Western Europe. Although detailed fire precautions and fire-fighting 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 the great plague of 1665; as the antiquary, Anthony Wood wrote, left London much impoverished, discontented, afflicted, cast downe . The background to 1666 is examined with events leading up to and during the fire. Includes first-hand accounts of the disaster A comprehensive view of how the fire destroyed and shaped London, the proposals to rebuild the city and the progress of the five-year programme which followed.