Life During the Black Death

Dunn, John. Life During the Black Death. 2000. 96p. ISBN 1-56006-542-7. Available at 614.5 DUN on the library shelves.

Plagues and pestilences have inflicted death and destruction on humans since the dawn of time. The decade between 1347 and 1357, however, saw a plague like no other in history. Spread by fleas, this deadly disease first appeared in Asia, but then gradually reached the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean before arriving in Italy through Genoese sailors. From there, it covered the rest of Europe until no country was spared.

At its height, thousands of people died everyday. By the time the Black Death, as the plague became known, finished, more than 40% of the population of Europe had succumbed to this deadly disease. The Black Death had a significant impact on European history. For the first time since the Roman empire peasants controlled some of the means of production, and could claim both higher wages and a higher standard of living. There was now plenty of land for the taking, and freedom allowed them to move to better places. The Catholic Church was undermined, as was royal authority. It took over two hundred years for the population to reach its pre-Black Death level.

Drawing on original research and sources from the time period, this book presents the history of the Black Death. It also discusses life in the time period, the medicine that was being practiced at the time, and how well (or poorly) organized religion dealt with this disease. The consequences on the economies and the borders of states are also presented. For a shorter book on the topic, you can consult The Black Death. To understand how germs such as those who caused the Black Death can be used as weapons, look at Germ Warfare.