'Show Me the Bodies is a clear, moving and powerful account of Britain’s worst fire since the second world war, written by someone who knows what he’s talking about… Never before, in years of reviewing books about buildings, has one brought me to tears. This one did.' —Rowan Moore, Observer Book of the Week
Description
***WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2023***
'Never before, in years of reviewing books about buildings, has one brought me to tears. This one did.' Rowan Moore, Observer Book of the Week
On 14 June 2017, a 24-storey block of flats went up in flames.
The fire climbed up cladding as flammable as solid petrol. Fire doors failed to self-close. No alarm rang out to warn sleeping residents. As smoke seeped into their homes, all were told to ‘stay put’. Many did – and they died.
It was a tragedy decades in the making.
Peter Apps exposes how a steady stream of deregulation, corporate greed and institutional indifference caused a tragedy. This is the story of a grieving community forsaken by our government, a community still waiting for justice.
Reviews
'Show Me the Bodies will never leave the mind of anyone who reads it. The tragedy is that those who should read it probably won’t.' —Guardian
'A searing indictment of the construction industry and regulators… The book that follows reads like a prosecution, meticulous and fierce.' —The Times
'A meticulous study of the Grenfell disaster and subsequent inquiry… a powerful reminder that management is not just about managing resources but managing people’s lives.' —Martha Lane Fox, The Sunday Times