The First Horseman: Disease in Human History

by John Aberth

This text intends to emphasis to students that widespread, deadly disease is not a distant historical phenomenon, but a continuing threat to humanity. It explains the economic, political, social, and psychological problems that deadly diseases have caused in our past and the challenges we face currently and in the future. The importance of this study is emphasized by the author's last line in the text, "The history of disease will go on, despite once confident predictions of an end to epidemics in our times, and those who now wage the heroic struggle to find elusive cures to our new plagues may find that they have more to learn from the past than had once been thought."

Genres: History, World History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2006

About the author

John Aberth serves as associate academic dean at Castleton State College, where he teaches history.

Reviews

[Nicole Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that explains many different facets of the various diseases that have haunted the world. I chose this book as a source in a history paper for my undergrad and relied heavily upon it for my own analysis.

[Cole Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and to the point. The author incorporates a variety of non-Western sources when discussing historical epidemics.

[Anna Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First Horseman is a discussion of the different disease that traveled the earth, and made an important impact in today's history.

One disease discussed was the Eurasian Pandemic: The Black Death which occurred in Europe and the Middle East. This was not just an outbreak of death; it tore families and countries apart.

Aberth presents an interesting perceptive in viewing the changes upon society, commerce, capital, social-economical power and, of course, politics that are wrought by disease.