Plague: A Very Short Introduction

· Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Gareth Richards
Audiobook
4 hr 4 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

Throughout history plague has been the cause of many major catastrophes. It was responsible for the "Plague of Justinian" in 542, the Black Death of 1348, and the Great Plague of London in 1665, as well as for devastating epidemics in China and India between the 1890s and 1920s. In the twenty-first century Coronavirus pandemics have served as a powerful reminder that we have not escaped the global impact of epidemic diseases. In this Very Short Introduction, Paul Slack takes a global approach to explore the historical and social impact of plague over the centuries, looking at the ways in which it has been interpreted, and the powerful images it has left behind in art and literature. Examining what plague meant for those who suffered from it, and how governments began to fight against it, he demonstrates the impact plague has had on modern notions of public health, and how it has shaped our history. This new edition also includes evidence on the nature of plague taken from recent discoveries in ancient DNA as well as new research on plague in the Middle East.

About the author

Paul Slack is Emeritus Professor of Early Modern Social History at Oxford University. He has been the editor of the journal Past and Present, is a Fellow of the British Academy, and was principal of Linacre College, Oxford, until 2010.

Gareth Richards has been narrating audiobooks for over three years in addition to performing on stage in projects as varied from Shakespeare to sketch shows. Being a native British speaker, he is experienced in a number of different dialects from around the British Isles and Ireland.

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