1666 Plague War and Hellfire by Rebecca Rideal

'Gripping and beautifully written' Tracey Norman, BBC History Magazine

'Sympathetic and sharp-eyed...an enjoyable book about an exciting period in history' Daily Telegraph

'A book firmly anchored in the grain of contemporary accounts, sparkling with the crackle of first-hand reports' Guardian

On 7 March 1665 the English navy's prized warship the London dramatically exploded, killing 300 men and women. It marked the beginning of eighteen months of horror in England. In rapid succession, the country was struck by the Great Plague, the eruption of the Second Anglo-Dutch war and the Great Fire of London.

Shedding light on these dramatic events, Rebecca Rideal reveals an unprecedented  period of terror and triumph, taking readers on a thrilling journey through a crucial turning point in history, as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary cast of characters. With flair and style, 1666 shows a city and a country on the brink of becoming a global power, and a series of events that forever altered the course of history. 

Paperback published by John Murray Press