Book about the Black Death

When I was at school some 45 years ago now, I read several times a book about the plague in London of 1666. I have no idea who wrote it by it was called something like City of Death, or City in Fear or similar.

Can anyone help me rediscover it?

Was the book fiction or non-fiction? If fiction, can you remember any more details about the plot or characters? There are so many books about the plague it's a bit of a needle in a haystack though I must admit that anything with 'City' in the title isn't exactly ringing bells for me yet.

Do you remember if the book was new when you read it?

There's a nonfiction book called London in Peril, 1665-66 by Edward Fox (sorry, this one doesn't seem to have touchstones). It was published in 1966.

There's also the more well known Black Death by Philip Ziegler, but that one's about the plague in the 14th century.

An excellent book on the topic of the Black Death worth reading multiple times is by Barbara Tuchman A Distant Mirror: the calamitous 14th century
Although it probably isn't your book as it wasn't published until 1978 I think.

I think the book you refer to is Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe. The book was published in 1722.

Rings a vague bell. Was it fiction and the main character was a girl - teenager maybe?

> 6

Oy.

No: Journal of the Plague year.

You may be thinking of Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks, but that's too recently published to be the book of which the OP was thinking.

@7 - The book I am thinking of I would have read in late middle school or early high school - before 1975. But it's just a vague wisp of a memory - I don't think I am likely to remember any more. Pretty sure it was a library book and I read it more than once.

Thank you so much for all your posts and suggestions, but it was definitely called City of or City in something. It was hardback, with glossy pages....possibly just a book that circulated in England maybe? It was so long ago, I just remember I loved it and read it at least once a year out of my school library.

Thanks so much anyway all of you.

Does not match the name, but i was thinking of The Star and the Flame by Rosemary Weir, a YA published in 60s which starts from the plague of 1666 and ends in the Great Fire (there are couple of cheerier moments in the middle).

Believe book was called "City in Peril". Was a fictional account of London familly living through the plague and great fire of London. Cant remember author.

the city of peril by arthur stringer??

Might this be" In the Wake of the Plague" by Norman Cantor? Short book, well written by a first class scholar.

# 11 and 12 - that's it City in Peril. Well done for coming up with that, brilliant! Now, the quest begins to find a copy after all these years. Thanks again to both of you.

Carrotlady, I've just found your post and I remember the book "City in Peril" very well! I read it over and over again at Primary School back in the late 1960s and it was that book that sowed the seeds for a passion for history. I have tried to find it ever since, without any luck, so do let me know if you locate it.

The family lived in Water Lane, Wapping. I can't remember their names.

It was BRILLIANT!!!

Hi BattyMatty: I found a copy on ebay or Amazon a few months back but it was way too expensive for my pocket - about £40 or £50. It looked like it had been printed about the time of the Black Death too, so it must have been an antiquarian book, hence the cost. But I shall keep looking, I would so love to read it again, just for memory's sake if nothing else.

>16 Carrotlady: Stringer was Canadian/American so if you look on the US/CA amazon and ebay sites, there are copies around for just a few dollars (still stings with shipping, but maybe more affordable at least).

touchstone fairy:

City of Peril by Arthur Stringer

@Carrotlady

Ask your librarian to see if they could get it through InterLibrary Loan.