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Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic Voices from History
Plague, pestilence, and pandemics have been a part of the human story from the beginning and have been reflected in art and writing at every turn. Humankind has always struggled with illness; and the experiences of different cities and countries have been compared and connected for thousands of years.
Many great authors have published their eyewitness accounts and survivor stories of the great contagions of the past. When the great Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta visited Damascus in 1348 during the great plague, which went on to kill half of the population, he wrote about everything he saw. He reported, "God lightened their affliction; for the number of deaths in a single day at Damascus did not attain 2,000, while in Cairo it reached the figure of 24,000 a day." From the plagues of ancient Egypt recorded in Genesis to those like the Black Death that ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages, and from the Spanish flu of 1918 to the Covid-19 pandemic in our own century, this anthology contains fascinating accounts.
Editor Peter Furtado places the human experience at the center of these stories, understanding that the way people have responded to disease crises over the centuries holds up a mirror to our own actions and experiences. Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic includes writing from around the world and highlights the shared emotional responses to pandemics: from rage, despair, dark humor, and heartbreak, to finally, hope that it may all be over. By connecting these moments in history, this book places our own reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic within the longer human story.
Many great authors have published their eyewitness accounts and survivor stories of the great contagions of the past. When the great Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta visited Damascus in 1348 during the great plague, which went on to kill half of the population, he wrote about everything he saw. He reported, "God lightened their affliction; for the number of deaths in a single day at Damascus did not attain 2,000, while in Cairo it reached the figure of 24,000 a day." From the plagues of ancient Egypt recorded in Genesis to those like the Black Death that ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages, and from the Spanish flu of 1918 to the Covid-19 pandemic in our own century, this anthology contains fascinating accounts.
Editor Peter Furtado places the human experience at the center of these stories, understanding that the way people have responded to disease crises over the centuries holds up a mirror to our own actions and experiences. Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic includes writing from around the world and highlights the shared emotional responses to pandemics: from rage, despair, dark humor, and heartbreak, to finally, hope that it may all be over. By connecting these moments in history, this book places our own reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic within the longer human story.
335 pages, Hardcover
Published February 11, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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June 26, 2023My favorite part of this book was the quote from Martin Luther:
“Some are rash enough to tempt God and disregard everything that might counteract death and the plague. They disdain medicines; they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but make sport of it to prove how independent they are. They say that this is God’s punishment; if he wants to protect them he can do so without medicines or our carefulness. Yet this is not trusting God but tempting him. God has created medicines and provided us with intelligence to guard and take good care of the body so that we can live in good health.”
Though written hundreds of years ago, this quote is especially applicable to our experiences with anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers during the Coronavirus pandemic. Turns out there were anti-maskers/anti-vaxxers during the Bubonic Plague! It’s fascinating to me just how much history repeats itself.
“Some are rash enough to tempt God and disregard everything that might counteract death and the plague. They disdain medicines; they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but make sport of it to prove how independent they are. They say that this is God’s punishment; if he wants to protect them he can do so without medicines or our carefulness. Yet this is not trusting God but tempting him. God has created medicines and provided us with intelligence to guard and take good care of the body so that we can live in good health.”
Though written hundreds of years ago, this quote is especially applicable to our experiences with anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers during the Coronavirus pandemic. Turns out there were anti-maskers/anti-vaxxers during the Bubonic Plague! It’s fascinating to me just how much history repeats itself.
November 13, 2021
Puts the current situation in perspective. Some things don't change: there has always been dissent, doubters, and, since available, anti-vaxxers.
Jacinda Ardern's speech, when announcing the March 2020 Lockdown is included.
Shame the role of Onesimus, the slave who introduced variolation to Cotton Mather, isn't mentioned.
Jacinda Ardern's speech, when announcing the March 2020 Lockdown is included.
Shame the role of Onesimus, the slave who introduced variolation to Cotton Mather, isn't mentioned.
July 17, 2021
Not just history, history from the words of those who lived it
I am not particularly a fan of non fiction unless it involves WW2 but I thoroughly enjoyed this. So much so that I got it as a kindle book but I am going to buy the hardcover. It is one thing to read about the Black Plague, but it’s quite another to learn there have been many many more great and minor plagues starting with the Augustinian plague right up to COVID-19. The author starts each disease chapter with a detailed description of the disease. Then the rest of the chapter are excerpts from real people’s writings either published, diaries or later on, blogs. Hearing them talk in their own voices about their struggles and seeing the progression of medical knowledge is fascinating and at times heartbreaking. For those of still trying to navigate our way through almost post COVID times it was a wonderful read.
I am not particularly a fan of non fiction unless it involves WW2 but I thoroughly enjoyed this. So much so that I got it as a kindle book but I am going to buy the hardcover. It is one thing to read about the Black Plague, but it’s quite another to learn there have been many many more great and minor plagues starting with the Augustinian plague right up to COVID-19. The author starts each disease chapter with a detailed description of the disease. Then the rest of the chapter are excerpts from real people’s writings either published, diaries or later on, blogs. Hearing them talk in their own voices about their struggles and seeing the progression of medical knowledge is fascinating and at times heartbreaking. For those of still trying to navigate our way through almost post COVID times it was a wonderful read.
June 15, 2021
An interesting but not a very jolly read. At least we now have knowledge of vaccines and treatments but it seems we don't learn from history and keep making the same mistakes over travel and contacts.
June 14, 2023
Interesting history of plagues through recorded history and accounts by witnesses to these terrifying events. Beginning with the Athenian Plague and ending with Covid-19, Peter Furtado does a remarkable job of introducing these pestilences and then shares various narratives by those who were affected. The timing for this book could not have been better as people seek to find how the people of those times grappled with the nightmare that was unfolding and it is eye-opening to see some of the ways that the communities of those days dealt with and treated these illnesses. Four stars because I was quite disappointed in the chapter on Covid because the author reveals his displeasure with President Trump, but doesn't bother criticizing the disgraceful advice from Anthony Fauci. Unless and until people start holding Fauci's feet to the fire on the origin of Covid and his pushing of vaccines rather than effective treatments, we will never have the full truth and are open to this atrocity happening again. I can't understand this lack of blame on Fauci who openly admitted to sending money to the Wuhan Lab, which is where the virus began. Wise up already!
March 12, 2024
Absolutely fascinating book and reminded me of a podcast I listen to (This Podcast Will Kill You) and allowed me to read about some of these diseases with some knowledge of them which others may lack (sweating sickness for example). I can’t fully explain why I’m not giving this a 5 other than to say I just felt something was missing at the end of each disease. Almost as if there should have been something to round it off rather than just reading the last “voice” on the matter.
Perhaps I was looking for some facts - maybe data about current incidence rates globally or how the disease has reduced over the years. But this is certainly a book I will keep on the bookshelf and re-read again - most likely dipping in and out of one disease at a time rather than in full.
Perhaps I was looking for some facts - maybe data about current incidence rates globally or how the disease has reduced over the years. But this is certainly a book I will keep on the bookshelf and re-read again - most likely dipping in and out of one disease at a time rather than in full.
January 1, 2025
My star rating here isn’t really meaningful, but I want to write a review in case it is helpful. If you’re looking for first hand accounts of plagues through history to get the facts, this is probably great. I was hoping for something that dealt with how various epidemics changed societies and/or how people felt about them. This book didn’t do that for me. I admit I quit halfway through because it just wasn’t what I was looking for.
June 11, 2023
An interesting look at the history of communicable diseases through history. The extracts were fascinating to read and showed how many old ways to deal with them still exist today.
August 14, 2023
Interesting but I question some of the inclusions and just generally question what readers are meant to get out of this. I liked it because it gave me quite a few story ideas, incidentally.
February 3, 2024
Lots of great historical information. Somewhat repetitive in many places. I found the second half more interesting. Took me a long time to read because I'd put it down for days at a time.
July 4, 2025
absolutely wonderful read!!! i love researching historical epidemiology, and this book organizes it in such an engaging way.
December 9, 2021
I mainly enjoyed this book and its thorough overview of the most infamous pandemics in human history. Each chapter contains passages from primary sources at the time of each pandemic. I did question why certain passages were chosen at times, due to either it being dry, or not very educational, or both. I was sort of wondering why some diseases like tuberculosis were left out. I guess it might be because TB has become endemic? At any rate, if you are interested in historical context for the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, this is a thorough read and should provide some comfort that no, none of this is new, and yes, we should have learned our lesson.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews