The Great Fire of London: The Destruction and Rebirth of a City

In September 1666, a bakery fire spread rapidly through London, destroying the city’s commercial and political center and reshaping England for years. Historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger examines the fire’s causes, the roles of city officials, weather shifts, and royal intervention in its spread and containment. She also explores the long-term consequences, including rebuilding debates and the profound social, economic, and political changes that followed.