Living with Enza: The Forgotten Story of Britain and the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918 [Hardcover]

Mark Honigsbaum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0230217745 | ISBN-13: 978-0230217744

Never since the Black Death has such a plague swept over the face of the world, commented the Times, [and] never, perhaps, has a plague been more stoically accepted. When the Great Influenza pandemic finally ended, in April 1919, 228,000 people in Britian alone were dead. This book tells the story of the Great Influenza pandemic.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'In this book Mark Honigsbaum shows how the history of medicine can inform policymaking today.' - Times Online 'Read this book to understand what happened to a country caught up in both a war and a disease that killed millions worldwide, led by variously competent civil servants whose responses, or lack of them, have some worrying parallels with UK pandemic plans today.' - New Scientist 'Journalist Mark Honigsbaum's new book offers a vivid account of the pandemic. It reflects on what could have been done to avert the disaster and what should be done about future pandemics.' - Nature 'A chastening read, but mercifully level-headed' - Financial Times 'Very informative and easy to read' - Irish Times 'The book is at its most powerful when it links the events at home in Britain to those on the war front that formed the backdrop to the three waves of the pandemic' - British Medical Journal 'The book succeeds in its aims and is especially recommended for its recovery of the public and medical experience, for its reflections on popular memory, and for its innovative interweaving of past, present and future...The great strength and originality of the book is the way it captures the everyday experience of the disease, from the suffering and neglect of the poor, to the care given to the prime minister, David Lloyd George.' - Michael Worboys, BBC History Magazine '...a vivid account of the pandemic.' - Michael Sargent, Nature '...[a] wonderfully evocative narrative...It is to Honigsbaum's credit that he so seamlessly interweaves the scientific and the social history of influenza. His volume teaches us much about the virus and reminds us why influenza is still much in the news.' - The Lancet '...a timely warning of what could be around the corner. It's difficult to encourage people to buy books that are going to depress them - but this should be the exception to the rule.' - popularscience.co.uk 'I read this book at a great pace. The frequent use of first hand accounts gives it a welcome human dimension...I recommend it to anyone who doubts the seriousness of the pandemic flu threat and who has a critical interest in the actions taken by government in our name.' - Patrick Nicholson, Peace News

About the Author

MARK HONIGSBAUM is a journalist and author based in London. Specializing in the science and history of disease his work appears in the Guardian, the Observer and the Financial Times. His previous books include The Fever Trail: In Search of the Cure for Malaria, and Valverde's Gold: In Search of the Last Great Inca Treasure, which was the Critics Choice selection in the Daily Mail.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0230217745
• ISBN-13: 978-0230217744
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written social history, February 23, 2009

By 

S. Hawk "S L Hawk" (Paris, France & Las Vegas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living with Enza: The Forgotten Story of Britain and the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918 (Hardcover)

A short, well rounded study of the epidemic's course in the UK. If you are seeking a full story of the 1918/1919 flu pandemic - this is not it. But the book has much to offer as a volume of specialized UK social history. The Author had access to an archive of letters with first person accounts. It is these letters and the details they reveal which make the book so interesting and give us new insights into the flu's effects on the ordinary person. Not that long - I read it in one sitting.