London's Firefighters

London's Firefighters is a wonderfully readable, lavishly illustratedanthology 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 cleverlyselected material that delivers both a comprehensive history of theLondon Fire Brigade and a fascinating portrait of individual firemenand women, at work and (occasionally) at play. The book includesvivid, occasionally harrowing articles on important events involving theBrigade - the Sidney Street Siege of 1911, the London Blitz and the 1981Brixton riots, to name just a few - as well as covering key figures withinthe Brigade like James Braidwood and Massey Shaw. The more personalsections provide a revealing insight into the bravery, commitment andcamaraderie of ordinary working firefighters and their families.The numerous, often highly dramatic illustrations, many from the LondonFire 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 atsenior rank in 1996. His first book, Beyond the Flames, was published byAustin Macauley in 2013. A fascinating peek into the world of the London Fire Brigade. A finalistand highly recommended.'The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2014/15, on Beyond the Flames"