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The Black Death: A Global History
Thomas Asbridge’s remarkable new book reveals the global impact of humanity’s greatest natural disaster, and the terrible human cost of this calamity.
'An up-to-the-hour work of scholarship that is at the same time a page intimate stories of suffering, death and resilience are situated in large scale social, cultural and economic histories of the ravages of the Black Death as it spread across the globe.... a small masterpiece' - Thomas Laquer
In the mid-fourteenth century, a lethal plague struck the medieval world, causing unimaginable suffering and destruction. This terrifying pandemic – the Black Death – was unquestionably one of history’s defining episodes, yet a critical feature of its progress has often been the disease was not confined to Europe, but rather affected almost all of the known world, including the Near and Middle East, Byzantium, north Africa and Asia.
Tracing the pandemic’s course across the medieval globe, The Black Death contrasts the experiences of different peoples, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, charting this catastrophe’s transformative effects on diverse aspects of medieval life. And crucially, Asbridge demonstrates that the plague was often at its most destructive in the Islamic world, where it ultimately played a role in the collapse of the mighty Mamluk Empire.
The Black Death also brings the human drama of this calamitous era to life, evoking the terror and the turmoil that beset cities such as London, Cairo and Florence. Asbridge reconstructs the lives of the men, women and children who faced the Black Death – from ruling monarchs to peasant farmers – laying bare both the abject horror they endured and the courageous resolve they often demonstrated while striving to survive.
Uncovering a story that speaks to our own age, The Black Death highlights humankind’s capacity for compassion and resilience amidst a global crisis to explain how the medieval world confronted, and ultimately overcame, this shattering pandemic.
'An up-to-the-hour work of scholarship that is at the same time a page intimate stories of suffering, death and resilience are situated in large scale social, cultural and economic histories of the ravages of the Black Death as it spread across the globe.... a small masterpiece' - Thomas Laquer
In the mid-fourteenth century, a lethal plague struck the medieval world, causing unimaginable suffering and destruction. This terrifying pandemic – the Black Death – was unquestionably one of history’s defining episodes, yet a critical feature of its progress has often been the disease was not confined to Europe, but rather affected almost all of the known world, including the Near and Middle East, Byzantium, north Africa and Asia.
Tracing the pandemic’s course across the medieval globe, The Black Death contrasts the experiences of different peoples, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, charting this catastrophe’s transformative effects on diverse aspects of medieval life. And crucially, Asbridge demonstrates that the plague was often at its most destructive in the Islamic world, where it ultimately played a role in the collapse of the mighty Mamluk Empire.
The Black Death also brings the human drama of this calamitous era to life, evoking the terror and the turmoil that beset cities such as London, Cairo and Florence. Asbridge reconstructs the lives of the men, women and children who faced the Black Death – from ruling monarchs to peasant farmers – laying bare both the abject horror they endured and the courageous resolve they often demonstrated while striving to survive.
Uncovering a story that speaks to our own age, The Black Death highlights humankind’s capacity for compassion and resilience amidst a global crisis to explain how the medieval world confronted, and ultimately overcame, this shattering pandemic.
545 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 26, 2026
About the author
Thomas Asbridge
12 books422 followersThomas Asbridge is an internationally renowned expert on the history of the Middle Ages and author of the critically acclaimed books 'The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land' and 'The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power Behind Five English Thrones'. HIs latest publication is 'The Black Death: A Global History'.
Thomas studied for a BA in Ancient and Medieval History at Cardiff University, and then gained his PhD in Medieval History at Royal Holloway, University of London. His is now Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary, University of London.
Thomas studied for a BA in Ancient and Medieval History at Cardiff University, and then gained his PhD in Medieval History at Royal Holloway, University of London. His is now Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary, University of London.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 15, 2026
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*.
The Black Death is a non-fiction book that explains the Black Death pandemic that occurred in the mid-fourteenth century. This book explains the science behind this pandemic but also the human cost that was paid. This book explains how monarchs were impacted by this plague but also local villagers. This author picks out certain people and explains their individual stories to show how the Black Death impacted them. There are many parallels from this pandemic to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this book when I thought of the Black Death I would think of rats in London but this book shows how the pandemic affected the Middle East, Byzantium, North Africa and Asia.
This book does exactly what it says in will in the synopsis. This perfectly explains the outbreak of the Black Death, how it was transmitted and the bacteria that caused it. I learnt a lot from this and it gave me a much more diverse view of this pandemic. I didn’t realise the Black Death impacted Middle Eastern countries so much and it was really interesting to read how Christians and Muslims viewed this plague. This was a little dry though and I did have to push myself through this at times. That said, I am giving this 4 stars and I will be recommending this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Black Death. I found the chapters on transmission to be the most interesting.
The Black Death is a non-fiction book that explains the Black Death pandemic that occurred in the mid-fourteenth century. This book explains the science behind this pandemic but also the human cost that was paid. This book explains how monarchs were impacted by this plague but also local villagers. This author picks out certain people and explains their individual stories to show how the Black Death impacted them. There are many parallels from this pandemic to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this book when I thought of the Black Death I would think of rats in London but this book shows how the pandemic affected the Middle East, Byzantium, North Africa and Asia.
This book does exactly what it says in will in the synopsis. This perfectly explains the outbreak of the Black Death, how it was transmitted and the bacteria that caused it. I learnt a lot from this and it gave me a much more diverse view of this pandemic. I didn’t realise the Black Death impacted Middle Eastern countries so much and it was really interesting to read how Christians and Muslims viewed this plague. This was a little dry though and I did have to push myself through this at times. That said, I am giving this 4 stars and I will be recommending this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Black Death. I found the chapters on transmission to be the most interesting.
November 28, 2025
Thomas Asbridge's The Black Death, an account of the plague which spread across the known mediaeval world and probably well beyond it in a series of pulses from the mid fourteenth century onwards is, quite simply, the most informative, accessible and comprehensive history book I think I have ever read. It's by no means the first book about this apocalyptic event that I've read, though it is the first since our current century's own experience of a much lower level pandemic.
At 560 pages it's a chunky offering, to say the least, but every one of those pages is packed with information and insight. The book is split into three sections. The first, which reads like a thriller, covers the progress of the disease from its first appearance in the shores of the Black Sea as it spread through an initially unaware and later terrified western hemisphere. The second considers how the world responded to this unprecedented disaster: how cities dealt with the loss of trade and the collapse of their economies, how they tackled the problems of feeding the living and burying the dead. The third looks at how the mystery of the plague's origins and nature was unravelled and the impacts it had upon the world not just in the immediate aftermath but for centuries to come.
I was utterly enthralled by it, largely because Asbridge quotes extensively from contemporary accounts and the words of those who suffered -- their pain, their bewilderment, their sense of utter terror -- prove both poignant and (I felt a little guilty about this) compelling. Some stayed, some fled. Some accepted it as their punishment from God, some railed against religion. And many of them -- possibly half the population -- did not survive.
In my experience it's rare that a historian takes in such a well-known topic and covers it with such a fresh eye. I admired this book for many things, including its comprehensive coverage of a huge topic and the quality of its writing, but most of all I commend the author for making such a complex event so easily understandable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a vast amount from it.
At 560 pages it's a chunky offering, to say the least, but every one of those pages is packed with information and insight. The book is split into three sections. The first, which reads like a thriller, covers the progress of the disease from its first appearance in the shores of the Black Sea as it spread through an initially unaware and later terrified western hemisphere. The second considers how the world responded to this unprecedented disaster: how cities dealt with the loss of trade and the collapse of their economies, how they tackled the problems of feeding the living and burying the dead. The third looks at how the mystery of the plague's origins and nature was unravelled and the impacts it had upon the world not just in the immediate aftermath but for centuries to come.
I was utterly enthralled by it, largely because Asbridge quotes extensively from contemporary accounts and the words of those who suffered -- their pain, their bewilderment, their sense of utter terror -- prove both poignant and (I felt a little guilty about this) compelling. Some stayed, some fled. Some accepted it as their punishment from God, some railed against religion. And many of them -- possibly half the population -- did not survive.
In my experience it's rare that a historian takes in such a well-known topic and covers it with such a fresh eye. I admired this book for many things, including its comprehensive coverage of a huge topic and the quality of its writing, but most of all I commend the author for making such a complex event so easily understandable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a vast amount from it.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
There are some things in history that defy comprehension. I think the top of that list is the Black Death. It was so complex, devastating, and widespread that I'm not sure any human can comprehend the death of 100 million people from a tiny bacterium. All of these aspects also make the Black Death incredibly difficult to write about. Luckily, we have Thomas Asbridge.
This book was a no-brainer as soon as I saw it. Asbridge's The Greatest Knight is an all-time classic for me and thus I had every confidence he would deliver with The Black Death. I didn't know how, but I knew I'd enjoy myself.
Like other books on the plague-above-all, an author cannot write anything close to a narrative history with central characters and a solid through-line. Asbridge breaks his book up into four sections. The first follows how the plague wipes out Europe, as well as parts of Asia and Africa. He chooses a few characters to illustrate the day-to-day terror as death stalks its way to the Atlantic. The second section looks at how society responded to the plague. Verdict: Society held up surprisingly well considering. The third section, which I found to be the most fascinating, was about the way we humans figured out what the Black Death was and how it caused so much destruction. Well, we didn't figure out everything, but we figured out a few things. Part four looks at the aftermath and how recovery occurred.
I would say to readers that Asbridge is a detail-heavy author. This is not a veiled comment that he is long-winded or boring. On the contrary, everything he provides is relevant and important. He wants the reader to be fully steeped in the story and details so that they can best feel and understand the world they are reading about. As expected, this is not a lighthearted romp through Medieval Europe. This is a serious history of the largest natural disaster in human history. If you are looking for a quick rundown of the plague, then you are going to get way more than expected. For us hardcore history nerds, this is pure gold.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Random House.)
This book was a no-brainer as soon as I saw it. Asbridge's The Greatest Knight is an all-time classic for me and thus I had every confidence he would deliver with The Black Death. I didn't know how, but I knew I'd enjoy myself.
Like other books on the plague-above-all, an author cannot write anything close to a narrative history with central characters and a solid through-line. Asbridge breaks his book up into four sections. The first follows how the plague wipes out Europe, as well as parts of Asia and Africa. He chooses a few characters to illustrate the day-to-day terror as death stalks its way to the Atlantic. The second section looks at how society responded to the plague. Verdict: Society held up surprisingly well considering. The third section, which I found to be the most fascinating, was about the way we humans figured out what the Black Death was and how it caused so much destruction. Well, we didn't figure out everything, but we figured out a few things. Part four looks at the aftermath and how recovery occurred.
I would say to readers that Asbridge is a detail-heavy author. This is not a veiled comment that he is long-winded or boring. On the contrary, everything he provides is relevant and important. He wants the reader to be fully steeped in the story and details so that they can best feel and understand the world they are reading about. As expected, this is not a lighthearted romp through Medieval Europe. This is a serious history of the largest natural disaster in human history. If you are looking for a quick rundown of the plague, then you are going to get way more than expected. For us hardcore history nerds, this is pure gold.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Random House.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Years ago, during the last stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, I began the New Year by reading Thomas Asbridge’s The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land. I quite enjoyed that book, so when I saw Asbridge had a book about the Black Death, of course, I had to give it a read, and I can say it was better than I expected.
It is very hard not to compare how we feel about pandemics with the experience of the Black Death, since all of us who are going to be able to read this book, until the pandemic and post-pandemic babies grow up, still have the image of COVID-19 in our minds. One thing that stuck with me as I was reading the book was how much the world has changed, yet many of the conspiracies, lack of precautions, shifting blame, and fight-to-survive have stayed the same.
There were two main things I enjoyed about this book that I need to mention. One, the book covers a very wide range of research. I like that it does not just focus on one geographical area. One may find this a bit too much, but in my opinion, a catastrophic, worldwide event like this requires information from as many sources as possible.
My second enjoyment was from the way the book was written. As I mentioned, I was already interested in Asbridge’s writing because of The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land, and I found similar satisfaction from this book as well. I love how Asbridge did not just focus on the days of the Black Death, but also on its early stages and aftermath. Moreover, since we have recurring important sources throughout the book, continuity is easier for non-historians to follow. The book is quite long, but it is very well organized, and the writing style does not tire you while you read. This is why I think the book is fit for those who are not historians either.
Overall, I would suggest this book to everyone. The book's length shouldn't scare anyone willing to read it, because I think the information in it is very valuable.
Huge thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Press UK – Allen Lane, Particular, Pelican, Penguin Classics | Allen Lane, and Thomas Asbridge for this advanced reader’s copy.
It is very hard not to compare how we feel about pandemics with the experience of the Black Death, since all of us who are going to be able to read this book, until the pandemic and post-pandemic babies grow up, still have the image of COVID-19 in our minds. One thing that stuck with me as I was reading the book was how much the world has changed, yet many of the conspiracies, lack of precautions, shifting blame, and fight-to-survive have stayed the same.
There were two main things I enjoyed about this book that I need to mention. One, the book covers a very wide range of research. I like that it does not just focus on one geographical area. One may find this a bit too much, but in my opinion, a catastrophic, worldwide event like this requires information from as many sources as possible.
My second enjoyment was from the way the book was written. As I mentioned, I was already interested in Asbridge’s writing because of The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land, and I found similar satisfaction from this book as well. I love how Asbridge did not just focus on the days of the Black Death, but also on its early stages and aftermath. Moreover, since we have recurring important sources throughout the book, continuity is easier for non-historians to follow. The book is quite long, but it is very well organized, and the writing style does not tire you while you read. This is why I think the book is fit for those who are not historians either.
Overall, I would suggest this book to everyone. The book's length shouldn't scare anyone willing to read it, because I think the information in it is very valuable.
Huge thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Press UK – Allen Lane, Particular, Pelican, Penguin Classics | Allen Lane, and Thomas Asbridge for this advanced reader’s copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a real treat for fans of history and/or epidemiology (I'm guilty on both counts!).
It's rare to find a volume that's as detailed, comprehensive, and simultaneously engaging as this one. The author leaves no stone unturned, examining not only the global spread of the Black Death, but also the response to it and its consequences. Yet, he avoids overwhelming the reader with a dry list of names and places. This is thanks to the author's accessible, conversational writing style and the multitude of sources he relies on to bring real people and their experiences to life.
The book is also very cleverly constructed. As the author writes, „Any narrative that starts with a modern diagnosis also undercuts our ability to properly engage with the lived experience of the Black Death, because it strips away one of the pandemic’s key features – its capacity to inspire febrile, dread-laden confusion within society […] To approach the medieval evidence without prejudice, while also exposing readers to the desperate uncertainty endured by those who faced the Black Death, this book deliberately sets aside the question of identifying the disease that caused the medieval pandemic or decoding its biological nature until Part III.” I can confirm that this concept pans out, turning the read into an immersive experience.
Even if you are well-read in medieval history, you will find plenty of fascinating new facts and stories here. The book is up to date on scientific research, presenting the latest data, quoting recently discovered sources and debunking many popular myths.
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Press UK – Allen Lane, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
It's rare to find a volume that's as detailed, comprehensive, and simultaneously engaging as this one. The author leaves no stone unturned, examining not only the global spread of the Black Death, but also the response to it and its consequences. Yet, he avoids overwhelming the reader with a dry list of names and places. This is thanks to the author's accessible, conversational writing style and the multitude of sources he relies on to bring real people and their experiences to life.
The book is also very cleverly constructed. As the author writes, „Any narrative that starts with a modern diagnosis also undercuts our ability to properly engage with the lived experience of the Black Death, because it strips away one of the pandemic’s key features – its capacity to inspire febrile, dread-laden confusion within society […] To approach the medieval evidence without prejudice, while also exposing readers to the desperate uncertainty endured by those who faced the Black Death, this book deliberately sets aside the question of identifying the disease that caused the medieval pandemic or decoding its biological nature until Part III.” I can confirm that this concept pans out, turning the read into an immersive experience.
Even if you are well-read in medieval history, you will find plenty of fascinating new facts and stories here. The book is up to date on scientific research, presenting the latest data, quoting recently discovered sources and debunking many popular myths.
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Press UK – Allen Lane, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25
Black Death by Thomas Asbridge is an exhaustive look at one of the greatest natural disasters to befall mankind—so far.
The book is split into several sections: the worldwide spread of the disease and its devastation on populations; the responses to the plague, both well-meaning and grotesque; the medical research, which takes us from the fourteenth century right up to the present day; and the Black Death’s lasting impact on surviving populations, culture, and religion.
The Black Death: A Global History is truly a remarkable book. Admittedly, I occasionally had minor quibbles about the focus and framing, but I cannot deny the sheer amount of work and research that went into it.
Asbridge adopts a very analytical and neutral tone, which serves the book extremely well. In the first section, the testaments and reports from travelling traders, who bore witness as villages were wiped out in what must have seemed like the end of time, are stark but impactful.
This tone is particularly effective when the author examines the innocent minority communities in affected cities, who suffered the wrath of panicking majorities seeking scapegoats or opportunity. The section is sobering and depressing—and sadly feels all too familiar today.
Overall, this is a highly informative and genuinely engaging book, which takes care to dispel any myths surrounding the infamous disease. The Black Death: A Global History is perhaps a catch-all on the subject, since so much is covered within its pages.
Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Press UK – Allen Lane for the ARC.
Black Death by Thomas Asbridge is an exhaustive look at one of the greatest natural disasters to befall mankind—so far.
The book is split into several sections: the worldwide spread of the disease and its devastation on populations; the responses to the plague, both well-meaning and grotesque; the medical research, which takes us from the fourteenth century right up to the present day; and the Black Death’s lasting impact on surviving populations, culture, and religion.
The Black Death: A Global History is truly a remarkable book. Admittedly, I occasionally had minor quibbles about the focus and framing, but I cannot deny the sheer amount of work and research that went into it.
Asbridge adopts a very analytical and neutral tone, which serves the book extremely well. In the first section, the testaments and reports from travelling traders, who bore witness as villages were wiped out in what must have seemed like the end of time, are stark but impactful.
This tone is particularly effective when the author examines the innocent minority communities in affected cities, who suffered the wrath of panicking majorities seeking scapegoats or opportunity. The section is sobering and depressing—and sadly feels all too familiar today.
Overall, this is a highly informative and genuinely engaging book, which takes care to dispel any myths surrounding the infamous disease. The Black Death: A Global History is perhaps a catch-all on the subject, since so much is covered within its pages.
Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Press UK – Allen Lane for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I came to this one skeptical. The Black Death is well-trodden ground, and the pandemic-book genre got pretty crowded after 2020. But Asbridge is making a real argument, not just retelling the story, and the argument is overdue.
For most readers the Black Death is a European event with some gestures toward "the East." Asbridge inverts that. He treats the pandemic as a genuinely global catastrophe and spends serious time in places that usually get a paragraph: the Mamluk lands, North Africa, Byzantium, Persia, Central Asia. The claim that the plague hit the Islamic world harder than Europe, and that the demographic damage helped hollow out the Mamluk regime that eventually fell to the Ottomans, is the kind of long-arc thesis I wish more popular history books were willing to make.
The comparative material on how Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities understood and responded to the disease is also instructive.
Worth your time if you care about the medieval world beyond Western Europe, or if you just want a pandemic history that takes the rest of the planet seriously.
For most readers the Black Death is a European event with some gestures toward "the East." Asbridge inverts that. He treats the pandemic as a genuinely global catastrophe and spends serious time in places that usually get a paragraph: the Mamluk lands, North Africa, Byzantium, Persia, Central Asia. The claim that the plague hit the Islamic world harder than Europe, and that the demographic damage helped hollow out the Mamluk regime that eventually fell to the Ottomans, is the kind of long-arc thesis I wish more popular history books were willing to make.
The comparative material on how Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities understood and responded to the disease is also instructive.
Worth your time if you care about the medieval world beyond Western Europe, or if you just want a pandemic history that takes the rest of the planet seriously.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In the mid-14th century, the Black Death devastated not only Europe but also the Near East, Middle East, Byzantium, North Africa, and Asia. This book traces the pandemic's global course, contrasting the experiences of Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and highlighting its transformative effects on medieval life. The book is fascinating, engaging, and easy to read.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
May 12, 2026
4.75 stars. Incredibly interesting. Probably a full 5 stars, but my focus was bad while reading this and thus it influenced my experience. Maybe reread at a later date.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book is an excellent analysis of the how the Black Death affected society and individuals at a more human, personal level with a scope reaching much further Europe, and explores what the virus actually is and how that discovery was made. The author has clearly done much research and doesn't just regurgitate the alleged death toll over and over. Indeed, Thomas Asbridge gives valid reasons why, in some towns and cities, this has been grossly inflated. Though, in no way, does he downplay the sheer devastation caused by the Black Death and its thousands of fatalities in each country. I particularly liked some of Asbridge's research methods, such as comparing numbers of wills made in particular cities though, for me, this did become a little repetitive. The book was a little too long for me personally, but that's due to my own attention span and I don't think that should put anybody else off. It's a very important, well researched and well-written piece that stretches beyond what I've been taught about the Black Death, and the cultures it impacted.
This is a 4.5 star rating for me.
This is a 4.5 star rating for me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews