Purple Death : The Mysterious Flu of 1918

by David Getz, Peter McCarty (Illustrator)

It was the worst epidemic in this country's history, and the search for its cause is still one of science's most urgent quests.

It was 1918, the last year of World War 1. Thousands of men lived in the crowded army training camps that were scattered all across the United States. That spring, a strange flu struck the soldiers at a camp in the Midwest. Healthy young men went to the hospital complaining of sore throats and fevers. Within hours they had suffocated, their skin taking on a terrible purplish hue.

The devastating flu spread like wildfire across the country, infecting soldiers and civilians alike. It killed more than half a million people in a matter of months, then disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

To this day, no one knows what caused a common flu to become so deadly, but scientists are still searching for answers. What they discover could save millions of lives if another common flu virus suddenly turns into a killer. In this riveting account, acclaimed nonfiction author David Getz tells young readers the story of the mysterious flu known as the Purple Death -- the virus responsible for the worst epidemic in American history.

Genres: Nonfiction, American History, History, Science, Medical, Historical

96 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2000

Reviews

[Candice Trimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book to read for two reasons, one we are currently navigating a worldwide pandemic with the COVID19, and secondly, my grandmother and her brothers were orphaned because of the Spanish Flu of 1918. I enjoyed this quick read. It's written for young readers, but it is filled with facts about identifying viruses and how to prevent the spread of them. Also, the fact that we are still discovering why/how the flu of 1918 was so deadly. It's ire to read how quickly this flu spread and destroyed lives because it parallels to our current COVID19 situation. Some of the safeguard practices that were created to help spread the virus of the 1918 Flu have gone astray, but these days are being socially demanded as common practice in order to save lives by preventing the spread of the current pandemic virus.

[Steven Strothman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting informational book to read on the flu of 1918. What a curious flu this was and how it mutated to attack healthy adults during World War I. Great information presented on how scientists tried to find the flu long after it had left to find a way to possibly create a vaccination for it.

[Mickey Bits · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's written for young adults, but Getz history of the 1918 Flu pandemic is informative enough for adults. The writing style doesn't talk down to young people. The facts are presented succinctly and he includes just enough context to make it interesting. The pencil illustrations of Peter McCarty are a perfect gilding to this lilly.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

McCarty’s black and white sketches are eerie and fitting for the mysterious disease. This book is 20 years old as I read it - I wish it was updated with the newest developments as so many questions are unanswered. Are they still? Off to do research.

[Xochitl · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice children's nonfiction book about the 1918 flu from the year 2000. the medical/immunology information is easy to understand and is simplified in a way where it doesn't miss out on anything important, which is always great.

3.5 rated up! illustrations are cute.

[Shelly Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will scare you. It is not the large things in life we must fear, it is the tiny things that will be our doom.

[Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was written in 2000ish, so I wondered what had been discovered since then.

[JL Salty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summarizes Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and expands to research into the causes of this deadly virus as well as options for preventing such an outbreak on the future.

Mid-grade-friendly read.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diseases are some times creepy, that's for sure.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! With the current COVID situation, this book will rock your thoughts. Very interesting and quick read.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not like non-fiction books, so I didn’t enjoy the book. I found it hard to stay awake while reading it.

[Evelyn Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew the flu was bad, but the death rates were crazy to see. This book was very quick but also very informational which I enjoyed.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended for gr. 5-9. I was intrigued by this book which describes the influenza pandemic of 1918 and how researchers have tried to figure out what makes some flus more deadly than others. The 1918 pandemic killed large numbers of healthy young people in addition to the usually more vulnerable elderly and weak. I thought the book was a bit disjointed in places, and was quite disappointed that as of the book's publication, no real answers have been obtained, in terms of the extra deadliness of certain strains of flu. That's what happens when you deal with non-fiction - there's not always a happy ending! It was however interesting to see how the research progressed, from discovering viruses, to making vaccines for current strains of flu, to finding sources of the original 1918 virus (bodies buried below the permafrost in Canada and Siberia). I don't really think students will pick this one up on their own unless they are doing a project.

[Milagros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purple Death: The Mysterious Flu of 1918 was a great read. When I saw the book while shelving my library the title caught my eye. I don't remember ever hearing about this killer flu that killed millions. This book also revels that this flu affected the world because of WWI. It killed 85 out of 100 American soliders. It made me think of the swine flu that had hit America some years ago. It also brought to mind what is going on recently in my of my favorite shows The Walking Dead. It is well written and there are many photos of that era. The illustrations included are penciled sketched that let the reader return to 1918. They are simple and a little eerie.

[D'andra Conyers]

The Purple Death was a really great read. I learned a lot of things about science, medicine, and spanish influenza. While learning about these things i read a lot of sad stories of people who died of the influenza. It is really cool to learn because now a days when you get the flu you usually don't die but back then you did. It was also really great to read this because David Getz was my principal in middle school.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though poorly illustrated and over ten years old, this piques my interest in the pandemic that killed my great grandfather in four days, leaving his newly immigrated wife alone with my grandmother and her four siblings. I had no idea researchers subsequently dug up victims buried in permafrost in an attempt to track down the virus. And of course, it's all the more fascinating and frightening given our vulnerability on this crowded planet today. Will look for something more current...

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short book geared toward youngsters 9-12, perhaps. It is a simple description of the flu in 1918 that resulted in about half a million deaths. The flu spread quickly and disappeared quickly. That particular flu virus has never been identified.

The book is enough to pique a child's interest in history, specifically history including a medical mystery. It was published in 2000. As far as I know, the book is still pertinent.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy book to read - most probably a children's book. But what the heck I only paid 25 cents for it. It basically describes what we know and don't know about the 1918 flu. Interesting and simplistic.

[Wendi Lau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good description of the 1918 Spanish Flu, its spread, and how scientists look for answers relating to viruses and disease. Read for more understanding of epidemiology in Disease Detectives for Science Olympiad.

Middle school reading level.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting topic for kids. Definitely makes you want to learn more about this still unsolved pandemic.

[Lavanita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some things I hadn't heard or read before.