Recounts the events leading up to the 1666 fire that destroyed most of London, tracing its course and aftermath, as well as the city's recovery.

An important historical moment in introduced in the context of both what led up to the fire and the changes that occurred as a result of it Children are introduced to words associated with buildings and fire and learn about the role of eyewitnesses in historical events in this guide to the Great Fire of London and how we came to know about it today. Using historical paintings, a timeline, and a simple map, children can discover why the fire started, how it spread, and the damage it caused. Included are activities that further encourage visual literacy and relate to the use of historical evidence sources.

Acclaim for The Great Fire of London "Popular narrative history at its best, well researched, imaginatively and dramatically written. . . . The author marshals his story and his mass of contemporary quotations with great skill." —Times Literary Supplement "The brilliance of its narrative chapters . . . a marvelous 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. . . . A rich mixture of imagination and research." —The 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. . . . Informative and lively account." —The Sunday Times (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 "A riveting book for those who like their history with a bit of mystery." —The Brisbane News "A rollicking good yarn." —The Age (Melbourne) "Blends high-class original research with a 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 "Neil Hanson’s descriptions of the inferno are like CNN reports from Kosovo." —Camden New Journal "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)

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON A book that entertains, informs and suggests startling parallels to todays world. _____________________________________________________________________________ Join such historical figures as King Charles II whose far-seeing plan rebuilt a city; Samuel Pepys whose diary told the tale; and Christopher Wren whose architectural genius brought London back to life. _____________________________________________________________________________ "Succeeds in evoking all the sights, sounds and famous personages of that era in capable, interesting easy-to-read style. ---Library Journal The narrative brings the old tale to life, especially it reveals the epic mess, the tangle of antique property law which had to be cut, set aside, or unraveled, and the sudden bankruptcies, privations, courage and tenacious good will on which the new London was slowly---so slowly!---to rise again[It is] at times a racy account of that fortunate calamity. ---Christian Science Monitor . . . a straightforward account of the Great Fire of 1666 . . . fireproof correct, and the illustrations have vitality and veracity. ---The Kirkus Service

This story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure. Perfect for 5-7 year olds or those reading book band white.

'With one's face in the wind you were almost burned with a shower of Firedrops' A selection from Pepys' startlingly vivid and candid diary, including his famous account of the Great Fire Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.

In September 1666, a small fire broke out at the king's bakery in London, England, in the early morning. Several fateful factors worked together to turn this small blaze into a catastrophic conflagration that changed the city forever. This riveting account of a city set ablaze is supported by primary sources such as maps, diaries, and royal proclamations. Readers will be fascinated by old-fashioned firefighting techniques and people's reactions as the fire spread and burned for days. Images of London on fire will ignite their imaginations and further enable them to understand this era and setting in European history.

2 SEPTEMBER 1666: 350 YEARS SINCE THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON In the early hours of 2 September 1666 a small fire broke out in a bakery in Pudding Lane. In the five days that followed it grew into a conflagration that would devastate the third largest city in the Western world. This short edition is the essential guide to the Great Fire of London and includes first-hand descriptions from the diaries of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, as well as a gripping account from renowned historian Adrian Tinniswood.

It's London, 1666. It's a hot, dry summer. A small fire starts in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane. Soon the city of London is burning and the fire-fighters can't stop the fire. People are running from their houses down to the River Thames. But how does the fire begin and who can stop it? What is the King of England doing to help?

As if the plague wasn't bad enough, here comes the fiery antidote! As famous diary-keeper Samuel Pepys, you'll witness four days and four nights of fire and live to tell the tale. Find out how people lived in the London of 1666, how they coped in the aftermath and all importantly, whodunnit! - or at least who we think dunnit! This title in the best-selling children’s history series, You Wouldn't Want To…, features full-colour illustrations which combine humour and accurate technical detail and a narrative approach placing readers at the centre of the history, encouraging them to become emotionally-involved with the characters and aiding their understanding of what life would have been like living through the Great Fire of London in 1666. Informative captions, a complete glossary and an index make this title an ideal introduction to the conventions of information books for young readers. It is an ideal text for Key Stage 2 shared and guided reading and helps achieve the goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14.