Plague!: Epidemics and Scourges Through the Ages

The Sickening History of Medicine

by John Farndon, Venitia Dean (Illustrator)

Being sick is horrible. But it used to be worse. Inside this book, you'll see evidence of the plagues of the past—rotting skin, dissolving lungs, and sinister swelling all over the body. Diseases like the Black Death wiped out whole towns and villages. Tuberculosis consumed young people like a bloodsucking vampire. And Smallpox left its victims scarred for life—if they survived. At the time, no one knew where these killer diseases came from or how to treat them. But eventually doctors discovered how these diseases and others were spread. Being sick isn't quite as sickening as it was in the past!

Genres: Nonfiction, Juvenile

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

John Farndon is an internationally known author, as well as a playwright, composer and songwriter, whose work has been performed at such theatres as the Donmar and Almeida in London and the Salisbury Playhouse and selected for showcases, such as Beyond the Gate.

He has written hundreds of books, which have sold millions of copies around the world in most major languages and include many best-sellers, such as the award-winning Do Not Open, which received rave reviews in the USA and became a cult-hit as well as featuring on the New York Times and Washington Post best-seller lists. In earlier years, he wrote mostly for children, and has been shortlisted a record four times for the junior Science Book prize. Books such as How Science Works and How the Earth Works each sold over a million copies worldwide. But recently he has written much more for adults.

Many of his books focus on popular science, and in particular earth science, nature, and environmental issues. His Practical Encyclopedia of Rocks and Mineral is widely used as a reference work by geologists, while The Atlas of Oceans, his big book on endangered life in the oceans for Yale in the USA (A&C Black in the UK and Australian Geographic in Australia), garnered glowing reports prepublication from major figures such as the Cousteaus, Carl Safina, Nancy Knowlton and Harm de Blij.

But he has covered a wide range of topics, from contemporary China to the food market. The history of ideas and intellectual curiosity is a particular speciality.

In 2010, his book for Icon Do You Think You're Clever? was a best-seller, reaching the top 20 on Amazon and the top 10 in South Africa and Turkey, and was shortlisted for the Society of Authors Education Award. The follow-up The World’s Greatest Idea was selected as one of the top 50 Wish List books of the year in South Africa.

He has been interviewed extensively on radio and TV stations around the world, and conducted talks, demonstrations and displays at many events, from the Brighton Science Festival to the Oxford Literary Festival.

Reviews

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is a very short picture book aimed at kids. It discusses various major fatal diseases and epidemics throughout history, including the “Black Death”, various plagues, cholera, yellow fever, Spanish flu, smallpox, typhus, and more.

The colour illustrations are done very well and the information is provided (it’s meant for a young audience) is short tidbits. It’s a very fast read. One interesting thing I learned why doctors used those scary looking bird masks when dealing with the plague. I mean, I “get” why a mask, but why with long beaks…? Now I know.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very choppy, oddly organized, occasionally self-contradicting (how can you call the 1665 Great Plague of London 'the last major outbreak' immediately before describing the 1855 Third Plague as 'a third great pandemic of plague'?!?) and excluding some particularly interesting tidbits. For example, it was only after bubonic plague reached San Francisco in the early 1900s, and resurged following the 1906 earthquake, that we figured out exactly how the plague was spread. How is that not even worth a mention?

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of information about all kinds of plagues, sicknesses, and the way we get sick from them. Sometimes it's a flea or a mosquito or even the smallest virus or bacteria. Some of the deadliest are the ones that killed millions of people. Scary stuff and I can see COVID-19 being added to all the others, The Black Death, The Great Plague, Smallpox, and The Spanish Flu just to name a few. The book is organized well and the illustrations are great and gross (kids will love that). A great book for a school report.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good format and design but....

No antibiotics or successful treatments? All of these plagues go away, supposedly for good, without treatment. I’m not sure what age this is targeted for. The vocabulary is too tough for early elementary, but I would have liked to see more accurate phrasing for older kids. Covers a lot of material in 32 pages.

[Janis Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely something I'd pick up as a kid!

[SHARON LUCILLE ALEXANDER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining

How do we teach what is so important ...and so lost to many generations? This is an excellent and informative start.

[Kristin Yourdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat disturbing but definitely interesting book that shares quick facts about plagues and epidemics throughout history.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Son Loved it!!!

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book but it also confused me. Multiple plagues being the most devastating out of all of them? I could have also just read it wrong. Over all full of lots of information.