Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918

Robert Marrin
Aug 8, 2018

Everyone knows about the Black Plague in Europe during the Middle Ages. But not everyone knows about the 1918 influenza pandemic. It was the worst virus that ever struck mankind. Not even the Black Death comes close to the number of lives it took. No war, natural disaster, or famine has ever claimed so many people. From 1918 to 1919, one third of the global population (500 million) became infected, with an estimated 100 million deaths. This book chronicles the cause and impact of this deadly virus throughout history.

This book was so interesting! I had never known about this history-altering pandemic before. It talked about the after effects, the history of epidemiology in general, and the various ways people tried to prevent it during its course. It was so in depth, featuring many photographs, maps, and charts. However, I did not particularly enjoy the last chapter that pretty much said we are all going to die from the bird flu, it is just a matter of when. I did not sign up for reading about my impending doom when I picked up this one. So apart from that last bit, I really enjoyed reading this book.

Science nerds and regular people alike can like this book. It is very explanatory and well researched.

 

Written by
Olivia from Leawood Pioneer Library YAAC

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