1
of
1
The Great Influenza
The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 42,086 ratings, 5,080 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5100
Unit price
/
Unavailable
International Supplier
This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Great Influenza
$5100
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
At the height of WWI, 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. This work brings us up to speed on the terrible threat of the avian flu and suggests ways in which we might head off another flu pandemic.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
The Great Influenza by John M. Barry is a riveting analysis of the 1918 flu pandemic, which stands as one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history. Set against the backdrop of World War I, the narrative unveils how the virus emerged in an army camp in Kansas before rapidly spreading across the globe, decimating populations and putting science to the test. Barry meticulously portrays how, in the span of a few months, the influenza virus killed as many as 100 million people, surpassing other major pandemics both in speed and lethality.
The book masterfully blends the gripping story of the epidemic with in-depth scientific research. Barry introduces readers to the scientists and doctors who raced against time to understand and combat the virus. He elaborates on how the disease hit both the young and healthy, challenging existing medical knowledge and reshaping the fields of virology and public health. The 1918 pandemic marked a critical juncture where modern science faced off against a formidable natural foe, showcasing both humanity's vulnerabilities and its relentless drive to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research, The Great Influenza intertwines historical occurrences with evolving scientific discoveries, creating a comprehensive narrative that is both educational and engaging. This revised edition includes a new afterword by Barry, addressing the growing dangers posed by avian flu and other potential pandemics. He provides a stark, yet hopeful outlook on current scientific advancements and preparedness efforts, suggesting ways in which society can mitigate future outbreaks through lessons learned from the 1918 pandemic.
Ultimately, The Great Influenza is a tale of triumph amid tragedy, providing a precise and sobering model that remains urgently relevant today as we navigate our own public health challenges. Barryβs skilled storytelling ensures that the book is not just a historical account but a vibrant exploration of human resilience and ingenuity in the face of devastating disease.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Great Influenza has been highly praised, featuring over a year on The New York Times bestseller list. Reviews commend it as a monumental and powerfully intelligent narrative, with The Chicago Tribune highlighting its authoritative and disturbing morality tale. The New York Times Book Review calls it the fullest and most panoramic history of its subject, while The Providence Observer describes it as hypnotizing and horrifying. The Boston Globe finds it a compelling and timely account of the 1918 flu epidemic, and the Baton Rouge Advocate labels it brilliantly written and a masterpiece.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780143036494
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 04 October 2005
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Edition: Revised edition
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 31.0mm
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 213.0mm
Weight: 448g
Pages: 576
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); and The Ambition and the Power- A True Story of Washington. He lives in New Orleans and Wash-ington, D.C.
Also by John M. Barry
View all-
Rising Tide
Rising Tide by John M. Barry is an enthralling narrative that delves deep into one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in American history β the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. The flood was not only a monumental environmental catastrophe but also a significant event that reshaped American socio-political landscapes. Through Barry's meticulous research and compelling prose, readers are taken...Paperback$6500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Great Influenza
In 1918, the world faced the deadliest pandemic in human history. What can the story of the so-called Spanish Flu teach us about the fight against present-day crises, and how to prepare for future outbreaks? At the height of WWI, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from History & Military
View all-
Saving Elli
One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Spy and the Traitor
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseSuicidal Empathy
The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Man's Search For Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the authorβs groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Betrayal
βTom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.β Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...Paperback$3499Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Chief and the Empire
The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential MΔori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the PΔkehΔ world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Discipline
Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...Paperback$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Shattered Lands
'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' β PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation β¦ both original and important' β MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia β India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Goliathβs Curse
Goliathβs Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseThe Good Settler
βWhere once I saw a view as I drove around the Taranaki coast along State Highway 45, I now see confiscated land from an invasion road. The creation story I used to subscribe to, the one in which hard-working people came here and settled the land, now jars. Weirdly, even the lawn looks different. The form of things just wonβt...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Banjara
A powerful literary debut from an astonishing new Kiwi voice, focusing on the Indo-Fijian indenture system and how it affected generations across the Pacific.Rajasthan 1888: Avani Rathod, a nomad of the Banjara community, is summoned to teach a blue-eyed colonial officer the trees of her region, but instead is misled into indenture to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji. While on...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
This Way Up
The debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographical nerds, The Map Men! In their long-awaited debut, YouTubeβs Map Men bring their highly infectious enthusiasm for everything map-related to the printed page for the very first time, in a brilliantly entertaining and eye-catching tome. Packed with humour and fascinating facts, This Way Up takes a deep dive into the...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
