What do you think?
Rate this book
Samuel Pepys: After the Fire
A further BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the famous diarist's writings, starring Kris Marshall and Katherine Jakeways as Mr & Mrs Pepys.
Samuel Pepys was 26 when he began his diary, in January 1660. For the next ten years he faithfully recorded each day's events and confessed his innermost thoughts. In these BBC radio dramatisations, the sights and sounds of his world are vividly conjured.
In these new instalments the diary focuses on events following the cataclysmic Great Fire of London in 1666.
Duration: 1 hour 15 mins approx
Samuel Pepys was 26 when he began his diary, in January 1660. For the next ten years he faithfully recorded each day's events and confessed his innermost thoughts. In these BBC radio dramatisations, the sights and sounds of his world are vividly conjured.
In these new instalments the diary focuses on events following the cataclysmic Great Fire of London in 1666.
Duration: 1 hour 15 mins approx
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 1, 2016
7 people want to read
About the author
Samuel Pepys
996 books73 followersSamuel Pepys was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under King James II. His influence and reforms at the Admiralty were important in the early professionalization of the Royal Navy.
The detailed private diary he kept during 1660–1669 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
His surname is usually pronounced /'pi:ps/ ('peeps').
The detailed private diary he kept during 1660–1669 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
His surname is usually pronounced /'pi:ps/ ('peeps').
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 9, 2016
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07sy331Episode descriptions via BBC: Episode 1:When the Great Fire of 1666 was finally extinguished, all that remained of the city of London were smouldering ruins. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, witnessed first hand the impact it had on the city and its people, and he would be haunted by what he had seen for the rest of his life. 13,000 homes, 88 churches, and many key buildings had been destroyed or damaged including markets, jails, the Guildhall and St Paul's Cathedral. Now aged 70, in poor health, and living with his servant Will Hewer in Clapham, Sam remembers the devastation, and how thousands of those made homeless by the fire were camped out on the fields of Islington and Moorfields.
Episode 2: After the Great Fire, the clear up begins. But when Sam Pepys and his servant Will go out in the carriage to look at the City, there's so much rubble they can't even tell where they are. Old London had been described as looking like a hastily constructed bonfire waiting for someone to put a match to it. No one wants that back. So King Charles II calls for plans for a magnificent new London. Three of Sam's closest friends - John Evelyn, Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren - are eager to present their ambitious designs.
Episode 3: plans for an ambitious new London are soon watered down. The city is losing money fast because of the disruption to trade. They must get the city back to work as soon as possible. Utopian visions are out, and compromise is the order of the day. Meanwhile, demolition work at St Paul's Cathedral causes problems with the neighbours, and another fire, this time at Sam's home in Seething Lane, threatens not only the occupants but his precious library.
Episode 4: Pepys, now 70 and in poor health, has a visit from Sir Christopher Wren, who tells him of the death of an old friend, Robert Hooke. Hooke played a key role in the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire, at the time when Wren had been commissioned to redesign St Pauls. For his third design of the cathedral Wren made an enormous model, large enough to walk through, and presented it to the clergy for their approval.
Episode 5: Sam is feverish from infection and close to death. It is time to put his affairs in order. A visit from one of his oldest friends, John Evelyn, prompts him to look back on events in his life, in the city he has loved. St Paul's Cathedral, once devastated in the Great Fire almost forty years ago, is nearing completion. London has arisen anew from the ashes.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Samuel Pepys Kris Marshall
Mary Skinner Eiry Thomas
Will John Biddle
John Evelyn Mathew Baynton
Robert Hooke Matthew Gravelle
Christopher Wren Tristan Sturrock
Director Kate McAll
Adaptor Hattie Naylor
Author Samuel Pepys
To mark the 350th anniversary of that terrible conflagration, which also cleansed the city of its plague, Auntie has served this up from Pudding Lane. I used to read the diary in daily form and found that was a great way to go about a re-visit the oafish diarist, however this is made up of those entries from that fateful weekend. (which you can read over on Gutenberg)Watch it burn: 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London
First look at a Great Plague skeleton
September 10, 2016
Coming 5 SEP 2016 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07sy331
Thank you, Bettie and Laura
5 SEP 2015 - Episode 1 of 5 -
When the Great Fire of 1666 was finally extinguished, all that remained of the city of London were smouldering ruins. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, witnessed first hand the impact it had on the city and its people, and he would be haunted by what he had seen for the rest of his life. 13,000 homes, 88 churches, and many key buildings had been destroyed or damaged including markets, jails, the Guildhall and St Paul's Cathedral. Now aged 70, in poor health, and living with his servant Will Hewer in Clapham, Sam remembers the devastation, and how thousands of those made homeless by the fire were camped out on the fields of Islington and Moorfields. By Hattie Naylor.
6 SEP 2016 - Episode 2 of 5 -
After the Great Fire, the clear up begins. But when Sam Pepys and his servant Will go out in the carriage to look at the City, there's so much rubble they can't even tell where they are. Old London had been described as looking like a hastily constructed bonfire waiting for someone to put a match to it. No one wants that back. So King Charles II calls for plans for a magnificent new London. Three of Sam's closest friends - John Evelyn, Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren - are eager to present their ambitious designs.
7 SEP 2016 - Episode 3 of 5 -
Following the Great Fire, three different magnificent new designs have been presented to the King by Pepys' friends - John Evelyn, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. But plans for an ambitious new London are soon watered down. The city is losing money fast because of the disruption to trade. They must get the city back to work as soon as possible. Utopian visions are out, and compromise is the order of the day. Meanwhile, demolition work at St Paul's Cathedral causes problems with the neighbours, and another fire, this time at Sam's home in Seething Lane, threatens not only the occupants but his precious library.
8 SEP 2016 - Episode 4 of 5 -
Pepys, now 70 and in poor health, has a visit from Sir Christopher Wren, who tells him of the death of an old friend, Robert Hooke. Hooke played a key role in the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire, at the time when Wren had been commissioned to redesign St Pauls. For his third design of the cathedral Wren made an enormous model, large enough to walk through, and presented it to the clergy for their approval.
9SEP 2016 - Episode 5 of 5 -
Sam is feverish from infection and close to death. It is time to put his affairs in order. A visit from one of his oldest friends, John Evelyn, prompts him to look back on events in his life, in the city he has loved. St Paul's Cathedral, once devastated in the Great Fire almost forty years ago, is nearing completion. London has arisen anew from the ashes.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter. Sound by Iain Hunter. A BBC/Cymru Wales Production, directed by Kate McAll.
Sign up for something good to be delivered to your mailbox - a daily dose of Pepys' diary here: http://www.pepysdiary.com/about/formats/
Visit Project Gutenberg for downloads of Pepys' diaries. There is even a complete (unabridged, I hope) selection - http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4200
Outstanding!
Thank you, Bettie and Laura
5 SEP 2015 - Episode 1 of 5 -
When the Great Fire of 1666 was finally extinguished, all that remained of the city of London were smouldering ruins. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, witnessed first hand the impact it had on the city and its people, and he would be haunted by what he had seen for the rest of his life. 13,000 homes, 88 churches, and many key buildings had been destroyed or damaged including markets, jails, the Guildhall and St Paul's Cathedral. Now aged 70, in poor health, and living with his servant Will Hewer in Clapham, Sam remembers the devastation, and how thousands of those made homeless by the fire were camped out on the fields of Islington and Moorfields. By Hattie Naylor.
6 SEP 2016 - Episode 2 of 5 -
After the Great Fire, the clear up begins. But when Sam Pepys and his servant Will go out in the carriage to look at the City, there's so much rubble they can't even tell where they are. Old London had been described as looking like a hastily constructed bonfire waiting for someone to put a match to it. No one wants that back. So King Charles II calls for plans for a magnificent new London. Three of Sam's closest friends - John Evelyn, Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren - are eager to present their ambitious designs.
7 SEP 2016 - Episode 3 of 5 -
Following the Great Fire, three different magnificent new designs have been presented to the King by Pepys' friends - John Evelyn, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. But plans for an ambitious new London are soon watered down. The city is losing money fast because of the disruption to trade. They must get the city back to work as soon as possible. Utopian visions are out, and compromise is the order of the day. Meanwhile, demolition work at St Paul's Cathedral causes problems with the neighbours, and another fire, this time at Sam's home in Seething Lane, threatens not only the occupants but his precious library.
8 SEP 2016 - Episode 4 of 5 -
Pepys, now 70 and in poor health, has a visit from Sir Christopher Wren, who tells him of the death of an old friend, Robert Hooke. Hooke played a key role in the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire, at the time when Wren had been commissioned to redesign St Pauls. For his third design of the cathedral Wren made an enormous model, large enough to walk through, and presented it to the clergy for their approval.
9SEP 2016 - Episode 5 of 5 -
Sam is feverish from infection and close to death. It is time to put his affairs in order. A visit from one of his oldest friends, John Evelyn, prompts him to look back on events in his life, in the city he has loved. St Paul's Cathedral, once devastated in the Great Fire almost forty years ago, is nearing completion. London has arisen anew from the ashes.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter. Sound by Iain Hunter. A BBC/Cymru Wales Production, directed by Kate McAll.
Sign up for something good to be delivered to your mailbox - a daily dose of Pepys' diary here: http://www.pepysdiary.com/about/formats/
Visit Project Gutenberg for downloads of Pepys' diaries. There is even a complete (unabridged, I hope) selection - http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4200
Outstanding!
September 9, 2016
From BBC radio 4 - 15 Minute Drama:
When the Great Fire of 1666 was finally extinguished, all that remained of the city of London were smouldering ruins. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, witnessed first hand the impact it had on the city and its people, and he would be haunted by what he had seen for the rest of his life. 13,000 homes, 88 churches, and many key buildings had been destroyed or damaged including markets, jails, the Guildhall and St Paul's Cathedral. Now aged 70, in poor health, and living with his servant Will Hewer in Clapham, Sam remembers the devastation, and how thousands of those made homeless by the fire were camped out on the fields of Islington and Moorfields.
2/5: After the Great Fire, the clear up begins. But when Sam Pepys and his servant Will go out in the carriage to look at the City, there's so much rubble they can't even tell where they are. Old London had been described as looking like a hastily constructed bonfire waiting for someone to put a match to it. No one wants that back. So King Charles II calls for plans for a magnificent new London. Three of Sam's closest friends - John Evelyn, Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren - are eager to present their ambitious designs.
3/5: Following the Great Fire, three different magnificent new designs have been presented to the King by Pepys' friends - John Evelyn, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. But plans for an ambitious new London are soon watered down. The city is losing money fast because of the disruption to trade. They must get the city back to work as soon as possible. Utopian visions are out, and compromise is the order of the day. Meanwhile, demolition work at St Paul's Cathedral causes problems with the neighbours, and another fire, this time at Sam's home in Seething Lane, threatens not only the occupants but his precious library.
4/5: Pepys, now 70 and in poor health, has a visit from Sir Christopher Wren, who tells him of the death of an old friend, Robert Hooke. Hooke played a key role in the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire, at the time when Wren had been commissioned to redesign St Pauls. For his third design of the cathedral Wren made an enormous model, large enough to walk through, and presented it to the clergy for their approval.
5/5: Sam is feverish from infection and close to death. It is time to put his affairs in order. A visit from one of his oldest friends, John Evelyn, prompts him to look back on events in his life, in the city he has loved. St Paul's Cathedral, once devastated in the Great Fire almost forty years ago, is nearing completion. London has arisen anew from the ashes.
By Hattie Naylor.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Sound by Iain Hunter
A BBC/Cymru Wales Production, directed by Kate McAll.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07sy331
When the Great Fire of 1666 was finally extinguished, all that remained of the city of London were smouldering ruins. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, witnessed first hand the impact it had on the city and its people, and he would be haunted by what he had seen for the rest of his life. 13,000 homes, 88 churches, and many key buildings had been destroyed or damaged including markets, jails, the Guildhall and St Paul's Cathedral. Now aged 70, in poor health, and living with his servant Will Hewer in Clapham, Sam remembers the devastation, and how thousands of those made homeless by the fire were camped out on the fields of Islington and Moorfields.
2/5: After the Great Fire, the clear up begins. But when Sam Pepys and his servant Will go out in the carriage to look at the City, there's so much rubble they can't even tell where they are. Old London had been described as looking like a hastily constructed bonfire waiting for someone to put a match to it. No one wants that back. So King Charles II calls for plans for a magnificent new London. Three of Sam's closest friends - John Evelyn, Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren - are eager to present their ambitious designs.
3/5: Following the Great Fire, three different magnificent new designs have been presented to the King by Pepys' friends - John Evelyn, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. But plans for an ambitious new London are soon watered down. The city is losing money fast because of the disruption to trade. They must get the city back to work as soon as possible. Utopian visions are out, and compromise is the order of the day. Meanwhile, demolition work at St Paul's Cathedral causes problems with the neighbours, and another fire, this time at Sam's home in Seething Lane, threatens not only the occupants but his precious library.
4/5: Pepys, now 70 and in poor health, has a visit from Sir Christopher Wren, who tells him of the death of an old friend, Robert Hooke. Hooke played a key role in the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire, at the time when Wren had been commissioned to redesign St Pauls. For his third design of the cathedral Wren made an enormous model, large enough to walk through, and presented it to the clergy for their approval.
5/5: Sam is feverish from infection and close to death. It is time to put his affairs in order. A visit from one of his oldest friends, John Evelyn, prompts him to look back on events in his life, in the city he has loved. St Paul's Cathedral, once devastated in the Great Fire almost forty years ago, is nearing completion. London has arisen anew from the ashes.
By Hattie Naylor.
Theme music: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, words by Robert Herrick and music by William Lawes, sung by Bethany Hughes. Lute, baroque guitar and theorbo played by David Miller. Violin and viol by Annika Gray, and recorders by Alice Baxter.
Sound by Iain Hunter
A BBC/Cymru Wales Production, directed by Kate McAll.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07sy331
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews