Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World
The “haunting” (New York Times Book Review) story of a virus that triggered the worst pandemic of the 20th century
 
The flu pandemic of 1918-1920 was one of the greatest human disasters of all time. It infected a third of the people on Earth—from the poorest immigrants of New York City to the king of Spain, Franz Kafka, Mahatma Gandhi, and Woodrow Wilson. But despite a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people, it exists in our memory as an afterthought to World War I.
 
In this gripping narrative history, Laura Spinney traces the overlooked pandemic to reveal how the virus traveled across the globe, exposing mankind’s vulnerability and putting our ingenuity to the test. Drawing on the latest research in history, virology, epidemiology, psychology, and economics, Pale Rider masterfully recounts the little-known catastrophe that forever changed humanity.
1125424936
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World
The “haunting” (New York Times Book Review) story of a virus that triggered the worst pandemic of the 20th century
 
The flu pandemic of 1918-1920 was one of the greatest human disasters of all time. It infected a third of the people on Earth—from the poorest immigrants of New York City to the king of Spain, Franz Kafka, Mahatma Gandhi, and Woodrow Wilson. But despite a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people, it exists in our memory as an afterthought to World War I.
 
In this gripping narrative history, Laura Spinney traces the overlooked pandemic to reveal how the virus traveled across the globe, exposing mankind’s vulnerability and putting our ingenuity to the test. Drawing on the latest research in history, virology, epidemiology, psychology, and economics, Pale Rider masterfully recounts the little-known catastrophe that forever changed humanity.
17.99 In Stock
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World

by Laura Spinney
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World

by Laura Spinney

Paperback

$17.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    In stock. Ships in 1-2 days.
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

The “haunting” (New York Times Book Review) story of a virus that triggered the worst pandemic of the 20th century
 
The flu pandemic of 1918-1920 was one of the greatest human disasters of all time. It infected a third of the people on Earth—from the poorest immigrants of New York City to the king of Spain, Franz Kafka, Mahatma Gandhi, and Woodrow Wilson. But despite a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people, it exists in our memory as an afterthought to World War I.
 
In this gripping narrative history, Laura Spinney traces the overlooked pandemic to reveal how the virus traveled across the globe, exposing mankind’s vulnerability and putting our ingenuity to the test. Drawing on the latest research in history, virology, epidemiology, psychology, and economics, Pale Rider masterfully recounts the little-known catastrophe that forever changed humanity.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781541736122
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Publication date: 09/18/2018
Pages: 352
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Laura Spinney is a science journalist and writer of fiction and nonfiction. She has published two novels in English, and her writing on science has appeared in National Geographic, Nature, the Economist and the Guardian, among others. She is also the author of Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (2025), the story of the Indo-European languages.

Table of Contents

Map x

Introduction: The Elephant in the Room 1

Part 1 The Unwalled City 2

1 Coughs and sneezes 13

2 The monads of Leibniz 25

Part 2 Anatomy of a Pandemic 35

3 Ripples on a pond 37

4 Like a thief in the night 46

Part 3 Manhu, or what is it? 59

5 Disease eleven 61

6 The doctors" dilemma 66

7 The wrath of God 75

Part 4 The Survival Instinct 87

8 Chalking doors with crosses 89

9 The placebo effect 121

10 Good Samaritans 136

Part 5 Post Mortem 151

11 The hunt for patient zero 153

12 Counting the dead 166

Part 6 Science Redeemed 173

13 Aenigmoplasma influenzae 175

14 Beware the barnyard 187

15 The human factor 201

Part 7 The Post-Flu World 213

16 The green shoots of recovery 215

17 Alternate histories 228

18 Anti-science, science 234

19 Healthcare for all 240

20 War and peace 247

21 Melancholy muse 261

Part 8 Roscoe's Legacy 273

Afterword: On Memory 287

Acknowledgements 296

Illustration Credits 297

Notes 298

Index 318

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews