The Pandemic Century

A History of Global Contagion from the Spanish Flu to Covid-19

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Pub Date 4 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 12 Jun 2020

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Description

A Financial Times Best Book of the Year

The most timely and informative history book you will read this year, tracing a century of pandemics, with a new chapter on COVID-19.

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 flu and the 1924 outbreak of pneumonic plague in Los Angeles, to the 1930 'parrot fever' pandemic and the more recent SARS, Ebola, Zika and – now – COVID-19 epidemics, the last 100 years have been marked by a succession of unanticipated pandemic alarms.

In The Pandemic Century, Mark Honigsbaum chronicles 100 years of history in 10 outbreaks. Bringing us right up-to-date with a new chapter on COVID-19, this fast-paced, critically-acclaimed book combines science history, medical sociology and thrilling front-line reportage to deliver the story of our times.

As we meet dedicated disease detectives, obstructive public health officials, and gifted scientists often blinded by their own expertise, we come face-to-face with the brilliance and medical hubris shaping both the frontier of science – and the future of humanity’s survival.

A Financial Times Best Book of the Year

The most timely and informative history book you will read this year, tracing a century of pandemics, with a new chapter on COVID-19.

Ever since the 1918...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780753558287
PRICE £9.99 (GBP)
PAGES 368

Average rating from 54 members


Featured Reviews

The Pandemic Century by Mark Honigsbaum is an incredibly informative history of pandemic break outs worldwide over the past 100 years, with a new, additional chapter concerning COVID19. This book feels as though it has never been more prevalent as we fight through another pandemic of epic proportions. It also makes us aware of what works and what doesn't, and I feel as though more people really need to see the history of pandemics.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Mark Honigsbaum's book is extremely timely. It covers in detail pandemics starting with the 'Spanish' flu outbreak in 1918 and continues through 100 years of mostly zoonotic disease outbreaks. I learned so much from this book. I had no idea that the symptoms of influenza can be so devastating. The descriptions of conditions in the military camps in the USA are gruesome, as are those of the effects of Ebola on its victims.

I felt that the chapter on AIDS was too heavy on technical description for the non-scientist reader, but in general the writing was clear..

In the current days of COVID19 it is sobering to read how difficult the science of identifying viruses still is in the 21st century, despite the 20th being an era of extraordinary medical progress. Add to this the reluctance of governments to acknowledge outbreaks and I am left with the feeling of living in a very dangerous world. The book leaves me hoping that the Next Big One does not come in my lifetime.

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