An unforgettable year for England, 1666 saw the outbreak of the Great Plague, the beginning of the second Dutch War, and the devastating Great Fire of London. Shedding light on these dramatic events and their context, Rebecca Rideal uses original research drawing on little-known sources, revealing this turning point in English history as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary cast of historical characters. Rideal also discusses the incredible scientific and artistic progress being made at that time, including Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity, John Milton's completion of Paradise Lost, and young architect Christopher Wren's plan for a new London.