Disasters punctuate our national history and some are so extraordinary, and so terrible in their consequences, like the Black Death, the Great Fire of London and the Blitz, that they come to define an era. On a local level, too, they have an unforgettable impact. For this gripping book, Roy Ingleton has made a telling selection of disasters that have hit the people of Kent from medieval times to the present day. The episodes he recounts were remarkable when they occurred, and they have a grim fascination for us today. He chronicles fires and explosions, epidemics, accidents at sea and on the roads and railways, and tragedies resulting from enemy action and acts of God. Roy Ingleton has written extensively on criminal and police history and the history of Kent. His best-known books are Police of the World, The Great Debate: Arming the British Police, The Gentlemen at War: Policing Britain 1939-1945, Policing Kent 1800-2000, John Gott: A Life in the Fast Lane and Kent Murder and Mayhem.