The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History

John M. Barry

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'The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History' by John M. Barry delves into the 1918 Influenza pandemic, providing a detailed account of the outbreak, its impact, and the societal responses. The author skillfully weaves together historical facts, scientific insights, and personal narratives, offering a comprehensive look at the devastating effects of the virus. Barry's writing style is described as dense with facts, backed up by an extensive bibliography and footnotes section, creating a narrative that is both informative and thought-provoking. not only covers the medical aspects of the pandemic but also explores the societal breakdown, consequences of poor policy decisions, and the challenges faced by scientists and researchers during that time.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is descriptive and thorough, though sometimes repetitive and meandering, making for a dense reading experience.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot details the rise of the influenza pandemic, intertwining the history of medicine, the political environment of World War I, and the resulting health crisis.

Setting:

The setting encompasses early 20th century America, particularly within the context of World War I and its influence on the pandemic's spread.

Pacing:

The pacing varies, starting slowly with historical context before accelerating during the coverage of the pandemic, though some sections feel excessively drawn out.

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 1876, the crowd overflowing the auditorium of Baltimore's Academy of Music was in a mood of hopeful excitement, but excitement without frivolity. Indeed, despite an unusual number of ...

Genres:

Topics:

the 1918 influenza pandemic

development of modern medicine

public health responses

virology and epidemiology

historical context of world war i

epidemic and pandemic

medical research

historical biography

Notes:

The 1918 influenza pandemic is estimated to have killed between 50 million to 100 million people worldwide, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history.

The virus most likely originated from pig farms in Haskell County, Kansas, before spreading to military camps and beyond.

During World War I, the movement of troops contributed significantly to the rapid spread of the virus, as sick soldiers infected others in a crowded environment.

The term 'Spanish Flu' is misleading; Spain wasn’t disproportionately affected; they had a neutral press that reported on the flu while other nations downplayed its severity.

The Sedition Act of 1918 led to censorship of news regarding the pandemic in the US, affecting public awareness and response.

In Philadelphia, at the height of the pandemic, 4,597 people died in just one week, and bodies were left in the streets due to overwhelmed morgues and hospitals.

The pandemic particularly affected healthy young adults, a demographic often found in military and urban environments, as their immune responses were sometimes overactive and led to fatal complications.

The medical field was still in its infancy, and many doctors lacked proper training, contributing to the crisis during the pandemic.

The flu virus was identified as a virus only a decade after the pandemic, highlighting the limitations of contemporary medical science.

John M. Barry argues that the pandemic's death toll was exacerbated by governmental failures and lack of transparency, a lesson that remains relevant today.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book contains graphic descriptions of illness, death, and the societal impact of the pandemic, which may be distressing to some readers.

From The Publisher:

#1 New York Times bestseller

"Barry will teach you almost everything you need to know about one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history."-Bill Gates

"Monumental… an authoritative and disturbing morality tale."-Chicago Tribune

The strongest weapon against pandemic is the truth. Read why in the definitive account of the 1918 Flu Epidemic.

Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research, The Great Influenza provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon. As Barry concludes, "The final lesson of 1918, a simple one yet one most difficult to execute, is that…those in authority must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. Lincoln said that first, and best. A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart."

At the height of World War I, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease.

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1 comment(s)

jortup295

It Was OK

8 months

Super interesting, but way too long. The story often gets lost in the midst of a deluge of names, dates, and details.

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About the Author:

John M. Barry is the author of four previous books: Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed Amer-ica; Power Plays: Politics, Football, and Other Blood Sports; The Transformed Cell: Unlocking the Mysteries of Cancer (cowritten with Steven Rosenberg);…

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