Customer Reviews
A thorough and well-written account - By: A. McAuley, 13 Aug 2008 
Firstly a confession, despite or perhaps because of my occupation as a teacher of History, I read very few History texts. However a favourable review by a colleague led me to Tinniswood's excellent book.
Tinniswood has clearly researched this volume meticulously, drawing on previous histories of the Great Fire & a wealth of primary material. The events of 1666 are carefully placed within the political & social context of the period, in particular the Restoration & reign of Charles II & the wars against the Dutch. The unfolding of the Fire itself is recounted with an eye for fascinating details, such as Samuel Pepys burying his Parmesan cheese as the fire drew near to his home. Again Tinniswood draws expertly upon the contemporary accounts & evidence. Tinniswood also cleverly examines the aftermath of the Fire, in particular the process by which the rebuilding of London was undertaken & the way in which compensation was provided to the many thousands who had lost homes or livelihoods.
Tinniswood's account also touches upon contemporary themes; the treatment of the many migrants living in seventeenth century London during & after the events of 1666, & the desire to blame foreign agents for deliberately starting the fire. These issues are dealt with sensitively & expertly.
I would recommend this volume to anyone interested in this fascinating historical event. Tinniswood has produced an account that is strongly rooted in thorough historical research, whilst maintaining an engaging written style.
EXCELLENT - By: Mrs. A. M. Chadwick, 17 Jun 2007 This is the first time I've read anything by the author Adrian Tinniswood & I wasn't disappointed.
I've never read anything about the Great Fire of London before & we didn't cover it in history at school to any great length, alll I knew was were it started & what a mess it created.
Adrian has done a lot of research for this historical book & has included a lot of information. He's looked at it for alll sides & how it affected not just the Londoners but the rest of the country as well.
The fire happened before the bubonic plague had finished & during the Anglo-Dutch war. There have been conspiracies about whom & why it had been started & this book answers a lot of those questions.
He focuses on the leading personalities like the galllant Duke of York, the hapless Sir Thomas Bludworth, the fussy Samuel Pepys, & the visionary Sir Christopher Wren.
The author also describes the long term consequences of the fire for example the rebuilding of the City, the emergence of fire insurance, & the exodus of noxious trades into the outer reaches of the capital.
This book was reallly interesting & informative, (it also includes black & white illustrations of how London looked at the time).
Personallly I found it a compulsive read, Adrian draws you into alll walks of life that were being lead at the time & how everyone coped with it. This is a book I will read again, it was worth the novel & for teenagers & adults alike who want to find out about the great fire of London this is an excellent book & I'd recommend it. :-)
