Read by Scott Brick An epic history of the deadliest plague in human history and how it forever changed American science, politics, and medicine. Unabridged CDs - 18 CDs, 20 hours
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Terrifying:
Once upon a time I read The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story, a book about emergent viruses like ebola, then read Stephen King's The Stand, which painted a graphic picture of life during and after a deadly plague. I thought this was the most terrifying combination of books I could read. I was wrong. The Great Influenza is more blood-curdling than all that. And John Barry keeps repeating "and it was just influenza." If we count every single AIDS fatality and add to them every single person... more info
Great history of medicine and the early 20th Century:
Although I purchased this book a couple of years ago, I hadn't gotten to it until just now. I moved it to the top of my To Read list after finishing The Last Town on Earth, which is a fictionalized account of the 1918 flu. I wasn't expecting the detailed history of how our medical profession modernized, and the history of the origins of Johns Hopkins, although I was pleasantly surprised to find it here. I also found the general policies instituted by the Wilson administration, utterly suppressing free... more info
A Hot Read:
A detailed look at the horrible influenza epidemic that decimated not only the United States but most of the world in 1918, killing tens of millions and sickening many more. An excellent job of explaining the biological and medical complexities of the disease, detailing the history of often shoddy medical education in the United States, and relating the Spanish flu's human and emotional toll through vivid anecdotes of personal hardship and horror. The book reads well as a medical detective story and... more info
The Great Influenza:
I liked this book it is a big thick book that takes a long time to read. If you enjoy history and you know it repeats itself. It is an interesting book to buy.
