The Dreadful Judgement

Neil Hanson's The Dreadful Judgement: The True Story of the Fire of London is an absorbing history of the fire that destroyed London in four terrible days in September 1666. Hanson argues that the "Great Fire of London is one of those cataclysmic events that has burned its way into the consciousness of mankind", but that as an event it "remains misunderstood and many of the most intriguing questions remain unanswered". As the book unfolds, it turns into an interesting but largely fruitless piece of historical detection, as Hanson fingers various suspects responsible for starting the fire, including "foreign agents, religious fanatics, political factions, the Duke of York and even King Charles II himself". However, Hanson ultimately concedes that the cause is probably much more prosaic. The best part of the book is its meticulous recreation of the dramatic spread of the fire, with its flames "reaching into each street, lane, narrow alley or suffocating passageway, seeking always another hold, another way of advancement, fastening on to the least scrap of timber, dust or rags". However, Hanson is too often distracted into unconvincing historical "faction", pen portraits of kings and courtiers, and pseudo-scientific forensic analysis, creating a feeling that he is not sure what kind of book he really wants to write. Hanson is right to see the event as symbolic of "urban man's most terrifying nightmare: the city in flames", but in the end The Dreadful Judgement promises more than it delivers. --Jerry Brotton

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