Customer Reviews

The dreadful judgement: the true story of the Great Fire of London 1666

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The Great Fire of London was a catastrophic event, destroying much of London in 1666, and is the basis of Hanson's excellent book. He sets the scene superbly, beginning by describing the life and mood of London in 1666 in a vivid manner. By bringing to life some of the characters of the time, such as the baker Thomas Farriner, in whose premises the fire began, and King Charles II, the story is given a neat personal touch and makes for much more interesting reading.

Once Hanson has described the setting, and filled in background issues, such as the plague of the previous year and the (un)popularity of the King, he commences on the initiation and spread of the fire in a breath taking fashion. It literally is quite gripping reading, and I was glued to the pages, unable to put the book down. It only lets up once the fire is out, and the great loss of property and personal items is realised and the enornmous task of rebuilding greater London begins.

Hanson also describes the mob mentality of the Londoners in seeking out would be arsonists, assumed to be foreigners (England was waging a war against Holland at the time). The person hanged for the alleged arson, Hubert, was as Hanson tells us, most likely innocent. There are other suspects, even the King himself.

To sum up, this is an excellent read of an important event in London's history. People interested in London history would no doubt enjoy the book, but Hanson's literary style will appeal to many people just looking for interesting reading.

The Dreadful Judgement is a wonderful book to read. Once I began reading, I could not go a day with at least completing another chapter. Will be appreciated by not only anglophiles, but also persons who simply like natural disaster plots or with appreciation towards social commentary in a historical context. Overall, it is a great book, and would recommend to anyone who is remotely cultured.