London is in the grip of a terrible plague and Daniel has been locked in his own home, doomed to die alongside his infected family. Can he find a way to escape before he catches the disease, too? And with the streets full of criminals and corrupt plague doctors, who can he turn to if he does? A thrilling story about a young boy's fight to stay alive during one of history's deadliest epidemics.
The History of the Plague in London is a historical novel offering an account of the dismal events caused by the Great Plague, which mercilessly struck the city of London in 1665. First published in 1722, the novel illustrates the social disorder triggered by the outbreak, while focusing on human suffering and the mere devastation occupying London at the time. Defoe opens his book with the introduction of his fictional character H.F., a middle-class man who decides to wait out the destruction of the plague instead of fleeing to safety, and is presented only by his initials throughout the novel. Consequently, the narrator records many distressing stories as experienced by London residents, including craze affected people wandering the streets aimlessly, locals trying to escape the disease infected city, and healthy families forced to confine themselves behind closed doors. Apart from these second-hand accounts, the narrator also provides a thorough explanation on how quarantine was managed and kept under control. In addition, he seeks to debunk all squalid rumors which have produced a false interpretation of the bubonic plague. However, not everything is bleak in the account, as the novel offers some affirmative evidence that humanity is still capable of charity, kindness and mercy even in the midst of chaos and confusion. Although regarded as a work of fiction, the author engrosses with his insertion of statistics, government reports and charts which further validate the novel as a precise portrayal the Great Plague.
1666 was a watershed year for England. The outbreak of the Great Plague, the eruption of the second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London all struck the country in rapid succession and with devastating repercussions. Shedding light on these dramatic events, historian Rebecca Rideal reveals an unprecedented period of terror and triumph. Based on original archival research and drawing on little-known sources, 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire takes readers on a thrilling journey through a crucial turning point in English history, as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary cast of historical characters. While the central events of this significant year were ones of devastation and defeat, 1666 also offers a glimpse of the incredible scientific and artistic progress being made at that time, from Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity to Robert Hooke's microscopic wonders. It was in this year that John Milton completed Paradise Lost, Frances Stewart posed for the now-iconic image of Britannia, and a young architect named Christopher Wren proposed a plan for a new London - a stone phoenix to rise from the charred ashes of the old city. With flair and style, 1666 shows a city and a country on the cusp of modernity, and a series of events that forever altered the course of history.
During Medieval times, the Black Death wiped out one-fifth of the world's population. Four centuries later, in 1665, the plague returned with a vengeance, cutting a long and deadly swathe through the British Isles. In this title, the author focuses on Cambridge, where every death was a singular blow affecting the entire community.
The Great Plague is a thrilling story of a young girl during the epidemic of 1665. It's 1665, and Alice is looking forward to being back in London. But the plague is spreading quickly, and as each day passes more red crosses appear on doors. When her aunt is struck down with the plague, she is forced to make a decision that could change her life forever... Alice's chilling diary brings alive one of the darkest moments in British history: the Great Plague of 1665-1666. Experience history first-hand with My Story in this all-new look!
A time of horror has come to London. In one terrible summer, more than 15% of its population will perish. As the bubonic plague ravages London's streets, mercilessly plucking up victims and filling the plague pits with corpses, 13-year-old Alice Paynton records the outbreak in her diary. "It seems that in the past week 700 people have died of the plague. So the plague has well and truly come to London... One of the houses in the next street had a red cross painted on the door. Above the cross someone had chalked Lord Have Mercy Upon Us." Alice's chilling diary brings alive one of the darkest moments in British history: the Great Plague of 1665-1666.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
