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THE DREADFUL JUDGEMENT
THE TRUE STORY OF THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
A fire needs only three things: a spark to ignite it and
fuel and oxygen to feed it. Since the autumn of 1665, a ten
month drought had turned London into a tinderbox. The older
parts of the city were almost entirely composed of wood-frame
buildings and shanties little more than paper shacks. The
riverside wharves and warehouses were stacked with wood, coal
and every combustible material known to 17th century man.
The fuel was already in place. A fierce easterly gale springing
up at the start of September provided the oxygen. All that
was now needed was a spark. On 2 September 1666, London ignited.
Over the next three days the gale blew without interruption,
and the resulting firestorm destroyed the whole city.
The Dreadful Judgement is a historical detective story, meticulously
researched, vividly told, which combines modern knowledge
of the physics of fire, forensics and arson investigation
with the moving eye-witness accounts contained in contemporary
documents, private papers and personal letters. The result
is a searing depiction of one of the most famous yet least
understood events in history: the Great Fire of London.
Praise for Neil Hanson's The Dreadful Judgement
'Meticulously researched, utterly fascinating.' Simon Winchester
in the New York Times.
'Popular narrative history at its best, well researched,
imaginatively and dramatically written ... The author marshals
his story and his mass of contemporary quotation with great
skill.' Times Literary Supplement, London.
'The brilliance of its narrative chapters ... a marvellous
eye for evocative detail. Hanson’s prose is animated
by the ferocious energy of the fire and seems to be guided
by its inexorable movement. He creates the literary equivalent
of the special effects in a disaster movie. The Dreadful Judgement
is so compelling ... a rich mixture of imagination and research.'
Daily Telegraph, London.
'He writes with knowledge and verve, as if making a television
documentary on a natural disaster. He includes a gripping
technical chapter on the mechanism and chemistry of combustion.
This works brilliantly ... The book gains immeasurably from
the author’s eye for detail and from his understanding
of the beliefs and prejudices of the day ... This informative
and lively account.' Sunday Times, London.
‘A heady brew of period documents, forensic science
and fiction… even more compelling is the portrait of
the squalid, xenophobic, superstitious city he evokes.’
Sunday Times, London
'Based on exhaustive and discerningly utilised research ...
a fascinating and original read.' The Good Book Guide, London.
'A searing account of so hot a subject that you can almost
smell the singeing pages.' The Lady, London.
'Meticulously researched and absolutely compelling.' What's
On In London.
'The best depiction of the Great Fire seen to date... He
manages to describe not only the atmosphere of the event itself,
but also the experience of living in seventeenth century Britain.'
Soho Independent, London.
'Neil Hanson's descriptions of the inferno are like CNN reports
from Kosovo.' Camden New Journal, London.
'Blends high-class original research with a pacy narrative
style that mimics fiction... Horrific subjects have served
this man well and he has a knack for plugging into the dark
themes that run like molten rivers beneath our social veneer.'
New Zealand Herald
'Extraordinary images abound: molten lead pours off St Paul's
cathedral and runs silver in the streets; bodies burn six
feet under in their graves.' New Zealand Listener.
'It's not the technical data which makes the book so riveting
though. It's the flair with which Hanson invests his account
with qualities usually reserved for novels - narrative drive,
persuasive character sketches, vivid scene stealing.' Sunday
Star Times (New Zealand)
'A horror story, well-researched and very well told, which
will make you rethink your ideas on desirable old villas and
tightly packed terraced suburbs.' Evening Post (New Zealand)
'A rollicking good yarn.' The Age, Melbourne
'A riveting book for those that like their history with a
bit of mystery.'
The Brisbane News
'Gripping, imaginative storytelling based on meticulous research.'
Gleebooks Summer Reading Guide, Australia
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