The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe [Paperback]
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The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe
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You can download The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe [Paperback] for everyone book mediafire, rapishare, and mirror link
A fascinating work of detective history, The Black Death traces the causes and far-reaching consequences of this infamous outbreak of plague that spread across the continent of Europe from 1347 to 1351. Drawing on sources as diverse as monastic manuscripts and dendrochronological studies (which measure growth rings in trees), historian Robert S. Gottfried demonstrates how a bacillus transmitted by rat fleas brought on an ecological reign of terror -- killing one European in three, wiping out entire villages and towns, and rocking the foundation of medieval society and civilization.
Books with free ebook downloads available The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe - Paperback: 203 pages
- Publisher: Free Press (March 1, 1985)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0029123704
- ISBN-13: 978-0029123706
- Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 6 x 9.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
In 1347, the boat drifted into Messina Harbor in Sicily with all hands aboard, dead. The ship was taken as a prize, brought to harbor, and the rats jumped ship. So starts the narrative of the greatest pestilence in history.By Edwin C. Pauzer
Gottfried writes in the style of a docudrama that adds to the dread of what you know will occur. Three forms of plague destroyed between one third to two fifths of the world's population. The first was the bubonic strain, the second was pneumonic, and the third was septacemic plague. The second was more virulent than the first, and the third was the deadliest of all, killing its host within 24 hours. Such a quick demise however, also meant it was the least likely to spread and ravage a larger population.
The author tells us of communities that rose to the occasion by quaranteening themselves, those who thought the disease was caused by the position of the stars, or the wrath of God bringing judgment day. Many reacted dysfunctionally by penitent, self-flagellation making germ contamination faster, and reaching a larger population as they moved from town to town. Delirious people did the St. Vitus dance to exhaustion. Other towns used perfume and sanitation to combat the evil.
This plague resurfaced every twenty-five years or so thereafter, bringing lasting changes. Whole families and estates had been wiped out or abandoned. Universities sprung up to better understand the nature of disease, and some municipalities introduced sanitation measures on a regular basis. Ships placed discs around their lines to prevent the arrival or departure of ship rats.
The plague is no longer the danger it once was thanks to antibiotics, but its effects linger in the familiar kindergarten song that kids still sing: "Ring around the rosey, pocket full of posey. Ashes, ashes, all fall down."
This may be one of the best books about the black death you will ever read.
VINE VOICE
This is the second book I read about the Black Death of 1347-51. I was equally impressed with the way Gottfried presented his materials. The author also examines several other diseases that were common in those days, and takes a scientific look at the bacillus that infected fleas and, eventually, the rodents that spread the epidemic. Thoroughly researched (look at his bibliography), this is a terrific book for anyone wanting to know not only about the Black Death but also about its aftermath in Europe (it shaped and changed the future of Europe). I would rank this book with Philip Ziegler's classic "The Black Death."By A Customer
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