London’s Firefighters is a wonderfully readable, lavishly illustrated anthology of articles, fiction and verse about the London Fire Brigade, most of it gathered from the Brigade’s house magazines London Fireman (1966-82) and London Firefighter (1982-2005).
The book’s editor David C. Pike, himself a retired firefighter, has cleverly selected material that delivers a comprehensive history of the London Fire Brigade and a fascinating portrait of individual firemen and women, at work and (occasionally) at play.
The book includes vivid, occasionally harrowing articles on important events involving the Brigade – the Sidney Street Siege of 1911, the London Blitz and the 1981 Brixton riots, to name just a few – as well as covering key figures within the Brigade like James Braidwood and Massey Shaw. The more personal sections provide a revealing insight into the bravery, commitment and camaraderie of ordinary working firefighters and their families. The numerous, often highly dramatic illustrations, many from the London Fire Brigade’s own collection, offer a lively commentary on the text.
All the profits from this book will go to the Fire Service charity, Firemen Remembered. David Pike was a London firefighter for more than 30 years, retiring at senior rank in 1996. His first book, Beyond the Flames, was published by Austin Macauley Publishers™ in 2013.
London’s Firefighters was the winner of the Bronze Medal for the Adult non-fiction category in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, 2015.
For more information visit www.austinmacauley.com/book/londons-firefighters
