The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death by John Kelly Paperb

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A compelling history of the Black Death that scoured Europe in the mid 14th-century killing twenty-five million people. It was one of the worst human disasters in history.

FORMATPaperback CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

A compelling history of the Black Death that scoured Europe in the mid 14th-century killing twenty-five million people. It was one of the worst human disasters in history.'The bodies were sparsely covered that the dogs dragged them forth and devoured them…And believing it to be the end of the world, no one wept for the dead, for all expected to die.' Agnolo di Turo, Siena, 1348In just over a thousand days from 1347 to 1351 the 'Black Death' travelled across medieval Europe killing thirty per cent of its population. It was a catastrophe that touched the lives of every individual on the continent. The deadly Y. Pestis virus entered Europe in October 1347 by Genoese galley at Messina, Sicily. In the spring of 1348 it was devastating the cities of central Italy, by June 1348 it had reached France and Spain, and by August England. At St Mary's, Ashwell, Hertfordshire, an anonymous hand carved the following inscription for 1349: 'Wretched, terrible, destructive year, the remnants of the people alone remain.'According to the Foster scale, a kind of Richter scale of human disaster, the plague of 1347-51 is the second worst catastrophe in recorded history. Only World War II produced more death, physical damage, and emotional suffering. Defence analysts use it as the measure of thermonuclear war – in geographical extent, abruptness and casualties.In 'The Great Mortality' John Kelly retraces the journey of the Black Death using original source material – diary fragments, letters and manuscripts. It is the devastating portrait of a continent gripped by an epidemic, but also a very personal story, narrated by the individuals whose lives were touched by it.

Notes

A compelling history of the Black Death that scoured Europe in the mid-14th century killing 25 million people. It reconstructs the lives and deaths of those involved through fragments of letters and diaries.

Author Biography

John Kelly, who holds a graduate degree in European history, is the author and coauthor of ten books on science, medicine, and human behavior, including Three on the Edge, which Publishers Weekly called the work of "an expert storyteller." He lives in New York City.

Review

'Kelly is a fair-minded and reliable guide, with a gift for providing racy and vivid background for those who know nothing of the middle-ages.' Independent on Sunday 'There has never been a better researched, better written or more engaging account of the worst epidemic the world has ever known than this' Simon Winchester, author of THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN AND KRAKATOA 'Kelly approaches the story of the greatest tragedy in history like a forensic detective who must first recreate the life of the victims before examining their deaths. While writing with a keen eye for the telling details of the past, Kelly's book might also be a warning about our own future.'Jack Weatherford, author of GENGHIS KHAN

Long Description

A compelling history of the Black Death that scoured Europe in the mid-14th century killing 25 million people. It was one of the worst human disasters in history.'The bodies were sparsely covered that the dogs dragged them forth and devoured them ... And believing it to be the end of the world, no one wept for the dead, for all expected to die.' Agnolo di Turo, Siena, 1348In just over a thousand days from 1347 to 1351 the 'Black Death' travelled across medieval Europe killing thirty per cent of its population. It was a catastrophe that touched the lives of every individual on the continent. The deadly Y. Pestis virus entered Europe in October 1347 by Genoese galley at Messina, Sicily. In the spring of 1348 it was devastating the cities of central Italy, by June 1348 it had reached France and Spain, and by August England. At St Mary's, Ashwell, Hertfordshire, an anonymous hand carved the following inscription for 1349: 'Wretched, terrible, destructive year, the remnants of the people alone remain.'According to the Foster scale, a kind of Richter scale of human disaster, the plague of 1347-51 is the second worst catastrophe in recorded history. Only World War II produced more death, physical damage, and emotional suffering. Defence analysts use it as the measure of thermonuclear war - in geographical extent, abruptness and casualties.In The Great Mortality John Kelly retraces the journey of the Black Death using original source material - diary fragments, letters and manuscripts. It is the devastating portrait of a continent gripped by an epidemic, but also a very personal story, narrated by the individuals whose lives were touched by it.

Review Quote

'Kelly is a fair-minded and reliable guide, with a gift for providing racy and vivid background for those who know nothing of the middle-ages.' Independent on Sunday'There has never been a better researched, better written or more engaging account of the worst epidemic the world has ever known than this' Simon Winchester, author of THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN AND KRAKATOA'Kelly approaches the story of the greatest tragedy in history like a forensic detective who must first recreate the life of the victims before examining their deaths. While writing with a keen eye for the telling details of the past, Kelly's book might also be a warning about our own future.'Jack Weatherford, author of GENGHIS KHAN

Feature

* At school, everyone is taught about The Black Death. This book reveals what it was really like. * John Kelly movingly reconstructs the lives, and deaths, of those involved through fragments of letters and diaries that have survived through the centuries

Description for Sales People

A compelling history of the Black Death that scoured Europe in the mid-14th century killing 25 million people. It was one of the worst human disasters in history.- At school, everyone is taught about The Black Death. This book reveals what it was really like.- John Kelly movingly reconstructs the lives, and deaths, of those involved through fragments of letters and diaries that have survived through the centuries

Details ISBN0007150709 Author John Kelly Pages 384 Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Year 2006 ISBN-10 0007150709 ISBN-13 9780007150700 Format Paperback Imprint HarperPerennial Subtitle An Intimate History of the Black Death Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Media Book DEWEY 614.57320094 Publication Date 2006-01-03 Short Title The Great Mortality UK Release Date 2006-01-03 Edited by John T. Greene Birth 1949 Affiliation San Diego State University Position Professor of English Qualifications Ph.D. Alternative 9780007375707 Audience General AU Release Date 2006-05-11 NZ Release Date 2006-03-23 We've got this

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