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But I'm glad I read the book (or most of it). Reading it while the H1N1 concerns re vaccinations were in the news helped me understand the potential for disaster this year. The first half of the book, "The Great Influenza" brought this devastating illness to life through those medical caregivers who were trying to deal with it. As a former US history teacher, I wish I'd had it to share with my students so they would truly feel the horror of a pandemic, its rapid spead and high death toll. I'd recommend it to all medical staff and to anyone who who loves a "mystery story." However, the last half of the book is truly for the scientist--I found it tedious.
My only disappointment is the omission of the religious reactions to what many interpreted as another Black Plague. The book is clearly boosterism for science and the intrepid scientists who made great efforts and took huge personal risks in the pursuit of knowledge. Mr. Barry did an excellent job of immersing the reader into the 1918 pandemic. You can't go wrong with this great read. But it also explains the numerous inept politicians due to cronyism, President Wilson using the Bill of Rights as so much toilet paper in an effort to win WWI, and the major head-trip Americans endured in dealing with all the dead bodies.
Barry's easy-to-read book was historically and scientifically educational, exciting and clarifies a lot about how and why the world is handling the potential pandemics, such as the H1N1 virus, in the manner in which they are. Mr. The author also took great pains to describe the history and still budding field of scientific research in America. It's hard to believe that "The End of Days" Bible-thumping didn't do boffo business with the fearful.
Sobering indeed. Includes lots of excellent background information on the scientists and epidemiologist at work before and during the outbreak. "But it's only influenza" repeats the author like a refrain during the narrative of the most horrific days of 1918. Here's a book, written well before the current H1N1 pandemic, that described an earlier H1N1 outbreak that turned terrible on it's second wave. My biggest take-away from this book is the realization of how quickly our entire medical system would be overwhelmed by a pandemic of this size.
I'd always heard it was the Spanish flu #nonsense#, killed 20 million people #probably closer to 80-100 million)and little was done to stop it (all- out effort from the american scientists of the day)and how the pandemic influenced history (Wilson had the flu during negotiations on the Treaty of Versailles) With the emergence of H1N1, everybody should take a page out of history and read The Great Influenza. It is fascinating. This book was chosen for my AAUW book group, and I'm glad it was. I probably would never have chosen the book myself or even have known about it. It is a thorough analysis of the beginnings of the 1918 flu pandemic (probably started here at a Kansas army camp as we were preparing to send troups to France#.
It illustrates the science the epidemiology and the medicine used in an attempt to control the pandemic. This book was well worth my time. As an emergency medicine physician I found this to be a fascinating book. The book also gives an excellent description of the political and societal factors that came into play.
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