Epidemics in History

A booklist for reading about epidemics in History.

Updated February 27, 2023
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The ghost map : the story of London's most terrifying epidemic--and how it changed science, cities, and the modern world
Johnson, Steven
Paper Book
A thrilling account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London and a brilliant exploration of how Dr John Snow's solution revolutionised the way people think about disease, cities, science and the modern world. This is an endlessly fascinating and compelling account of the summer of 1854,...
Flu : the story of the great influenza pandemic of 1918 and the search for the virus that caused it
Kolata, Gina Bari
Paper Book
A national bestseller, the fast-paced and gripping account of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918 from acclaimed science journalist Gina Kolata, now featuring a new epilogue about avian flu. When we think of plagues, we think of AIDS, Ebola, anthrax spores, and, of course, the Black...
SARS : how a global epidemic was stopped
Paper Book
SARS caused more fear and social disruption than any other diseases of our time. While it killed a relatively small number of people it nevertheless buckled economies crippled international trade and travel and emptied the streets of some of the world's most prosperous cities. Where did...
The coming plague : newly emerging diseases in a world out of balance
Garrett, Laurie.
Paper Book
Unpurified drinking water. Improper use of antibiotics. Local warfare. Massive refugee migration. Changing social and environmental conditions around the world have fostered the spread of new and potentially devastating viruses and diseases - HIV, Lassa, Ebola, and others. Laurie Garrett takes you...
Spillover : animal infections and the next human pandemic
Quammen, David
Paper Book
The emergence of strange new diseases is a frightening problem that seems to be getting worse. In this age of speedy travel, it threatens a worldwide pandemic. We hear news reports of Ebola, SARS, AIDS, and something called Hendra killing horses and people in Australia--but those reports miss the...
The pandemic century : one hundred years of panic, hysteria, and hubris
Honigsbaum, Mark
Paper Book
Ever since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, scientists have dreamed of preventing catastrophic outbreaks of infectious disease. Yet despite a century of medical progress, viral and bacterial disasters continue to take us by surprise, inciting panic and dominating news cycles. From the Spanish...
Epidemics and society from the Black Death to the present
Snowden, Frank M.
Ebook
A wide-ranging study that illuminates the connection between epidemic diseases and societal change, from the Black Death to Ebola
Flu hunter : unlocking the secrets of a virus
Webster, Robert G.
Paper Book
When a new influenza virus emerges that is able to be transmitted between humans, it spreads globally as a pandemic, often with high mortality. Enormous social disruption and substantial economic cost can result. The 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic was undoubtedly the most devastating influenza...
Deadly outbreaks : how medical detectives save lives threatened by killer pandemics, exotic viruses, and drug-resistant parasites
Levitt, Alexandra M.
Paper Book
Despite advances in health care, infectious microbes continue to be a formidable adversary to scientists and doctors. Vaccines and antibiotics, the mainstays of modern medicine, have not been able to conquer infectious microbes because of their amazing ability to adapt, evolve, and spread to new...
Beasts of the earth : animals, humans, and disease
Torrey, E. Fuller
Paper Book
Humans have lived in close proximity to other animals for thousands of years. Recent scientific studies have even shown that the presence of animals has a positive effect on our physical and mental health. People with pets typically have lower blood pressure, show fewer symptoms of...

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