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quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
"Believing it to be the end of the world, no one wept for the dead, for all expected to die" Agnolo di Turo, Siena 1348.
The second worst catastrophe in recorded history, the Black Death is exceeded only by World War II in the number of casualties and the amount of emotional suffering it caused.
In just over 1000 days from 1347 to 1351 the plague swept across Europe, killing an estimated 25 million people and touching the lives of every individual. Not knowing the cause of this disaster, many turned to heonism, convinced that God had abandoned his children; others sought solace in self-flagellation or in the violent excesses of a terrible wave of anti-Semitism.
In The Great Mortality John Kelly retraces the journey of this still extant disease, using original source material - diary fragments, letters and manuscripts - to tell the story of its rapid spread from Italy all the way to England. It is a harrowing portrait of a continent gripped by an epidemic, but also a compendium of extraordinary personal stories.
John Kelly has produced a comprehensive, well-researched account of the Black Death from its origins on the plains of Samarkand to its domination of Europe and eventual recession that is by-turns harrowing, humane and always fascinating.
He's clearly done a lot of work looking at both source material and modern articles (the end notes run to over 30 pages) that attempt to explain why the Black Death was so virulent and so devastating, but isn't afraid to insert his own opinion. Particularly interesting was his description of the different types of plague and how it is communicated (which, as a non-scientist, I found lucid and easy to follow). His final chapter draws out some of the current arguments being made that the Black Death was actually a strain of Ebola and although I would have liked this to be a little more in-depth, he deals with the arguments for and against in a succinct manner.
In terms of social history, there's a great deal to be taken from this book, including aspects of diet and housing but also some of the politics and every-day attitudes. One chapter focuses on anti-Semitism and how it increased as a result of the Black Death and although it makes for very uncomfortable reading, it helps to explain the roots of anti-Semitism that are still felt to this day.
My only complaint is that sometimes Kelly lets his imagination get the better of him. There are a couple of instances where he suggests how a particular chronicler may have felt or behaved that seem to bear no relation to the text and which detract from the chronicler's own words. Apart from this however, I really enjoyed the book and would have no hesitation recommending it to people interested in the period or subject matter.
The Verdict:
Well researched but easy to understand, I found this to be a very enjoyable account of a horrifying time in European history.
The second worst catastrophe in recorded history, the Black Death is exceeded only by World War II in the number of casualties and the amount of emotional suffering it caused.
In just over 1000 days from 1347 to 1351 the plague swept across Europe, killing an estimated 25 million people and touching the lives of every individual. Not knowing the cause of this disaster, many turned to heonism, convinced that God had abandoned his children; others sought solace in self-flagellation or in the violent excesses of a terrible wave of anti-Semitism.
In The Great Mortality John Kelly retraces the journey of this still extant disease, using original source material - diary fragments, letters and manuscripts - to tell the story of its rapid spread from Italy all the way to England. It is a harrowing portrait of a continent gripped by an epidemic, but also a compendium of extraordinary personal stories.
John Kelly has produced a comprehensive, well-researched account of the Black Death from its origins on the plains of Samarkand to its domination of Europe and eventual recession that is by-turns harrowing, humane and always fascinating.
He's clearly done a lot of work looking at both source material and modern articles (the end notes run to over 30 pages) that attempt to explain why the Black Death was so virulent and so devastating, but isn't afraid to insert his own opinion. Particularly interesting was his description of the different types of plague and how it is communicated (which, as a non-scientist, I found lucid and easy to follow). His final chapter draws out some of the current arguments being made that the Black Death was actually a strain of Ebola and although I would have liked this to be a little more in-depth, he deals with the arguments for and against in a succinct manner.
In terms of social history, there's a great deal to be taken from this book, including aspects of diet and housing but also some of the politics and every-day attitudes. One chapter focuses on anti-Semitism and how it increased as a result of the Black Death and although it makes for very uncomfortable reading, it helps to explain the roots of anti-Semitism that are still felt to this day.
My only complaint is that sometimes Kelly lets his imagination get the better of him. There are a couple of instances where he suggests how a particular chronicler may have felt or behaved that seem to bear no relation to the text and which detract from the chronicler's own words. Apart from this however, I really enjoyed the book and would have no hesitation recommending it to people interested in the period or subject matter.
The Verdict:
Well researched but easy to understand, I found this to be a very enjoyable account of a horrifying time in European history.
