Reading Room | Medical Historical
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
Type: Paperback, Hardback, Kindle
Category: Non-fiction, Science, History
Keywords: pandemic, influenza, World War One, virology
J.M Barry's "The Great Influenza" explores the devastating outbreak of the deadliest influenza virus during World War I. Originating in a Kansas army camp, the virus spread rapidly with American troops, causing a global pandemic that claimed the lives of as many as 100 million people - more people than Black Death killed in a century.
The book highlights the unprecedented collision of science and epidemic disease in 1918, contrasting the modern era with the historical context of the Middle Ages and emphasizing the monumental toll the virus took in a short time.
Note: The revised edition addresses the contemporary danger of avian flu, providing a comprehensive perspective on the triumphs and tragedies associated with epidemic diseases. John M. Barry's afterword discusses the ongoing threat of avian flu and proposes preventive measures to avert another potential flu pandemic.
The Medical Education Network receives no royalties from sales of this book
Editorial Reviews
I read this book shortly before the 2020 COVID outbreak. The parallels are astonishing. The trajectory of the current pandemic followed that of 1918 with almost eerie precision. Regardless of whether you are interested in history or pandemics, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the events that shaped our current medical - and political - landscape - Linda Ravenhill, MedED Editor.
"It’s one of several books that made it clear to me that the world needed to do a better job of preparing for novel pathogens. Writing roughly 16 years ago, Barry was clear and persuasive that “another pandemic not only can happen…. It almost certainly will happen.” Bill Gates, Gates Notes, 2020
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