In History, Fiction, FilmThrough the ages epidemics have left their devastating mark on countries and cultures. The following volumes illustrate the impact of a few past epidemics:
Dread: How Fear & Fantasy Have Fueled Epidemics From the Black Death to Avian Flu by Philip Alcabes describes how fear of the unknown increases the problems caused by epidemics, rather than germs alone.
The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon’s Greatest Army by Stephan Talty attests that not only the Russian winter destroyed the French Grande Armée, but the dreaded epidemic, typhus, was the final blow. 1812 marked the height of Napoleon’s power, yet it was all to be lost. Talty’s book tells how it all happened with vivid detail.
The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever The Epidemic that Shaped Our History by Molly Caldwell Crosby describes the 1878 outbreak of this horrific epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee. The book tells how medical practices were changed, as was preparation for future epidemics.
Wendy Orent’s Plague: The Mysterious Past & Terrifying Future of the World’s Most Dangerous Disease combines biology, journalism, and history in its coverage of 1500 years of plagues.
John M. Barry’s The Great Influenza tells of the 1918 tragedy. Alongside World War I, the world suffered this second widespread tragedy.
For Fiction Readers
Plague Ship (Clive Cussler) -- Contagion, Invasion, Outbreak (Robin Cook) -- Bloodstream (Tess Gerritsen) -- Magnolia Creek (Jill Marie Landis) -- Isolation Ward (Joshua Spanogle) -- Judas Strain (James Rollins) -- Physician's Tale (Ann Benson)
On Film
I am Legend (Will Smith) -- Outbreak (Dustin Hoffman) -- Blindness (Danny Glover) -- The Happening (Mark Wahlberg) -- 12 Monkeys (Brad Pitt) -- Painted Veil (Edward Norton)
Post by Bev Simmons
