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 3