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Expansive, thoughtful, and timely - worth picking up for a fresh perspective on the world's deadliest pandemic (but maybe borrow it if you're looking for a tighter, focused read).

If you liked Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World, here are the top 80 books to read next:

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  1. A gripping (if sometimes dense) window into the world's deadliest pandemic and the dawn of modern medicine; come for the history, but know you'll get a whirlwind tour of science, politics, and social upheaval along the way.

    ON SEPTEMBER 12, 1876, the crowd overflowing the auditorium of Baltimore's Academy of Music was in a mood of hopeful excitement, but excitement without frivolity. Indeed, despite an unusual number of...

  2. A must-read for anyone curious about pandemics, infectious diseases, and the real stories behind the headlines - prepare yourself for a chilling, exhaustive, and unforgettable journey through the world of emerging plagues.

    For Western physicians, the 1950s and 1960s were a time of tremendous optimism. Nearly every week the medical establishment declared another “miracle breakthrough” in humanity’s war with infectious di...

  3. A punchy, relevant slice of American history - compelling for fans of narrative nonfiction and anyone curious about how pandemics shape (and reflect) our society. Not for science purists, but an engaging read for most.

    Six weeks earlier, Joseph Kinyoun had been heading into middle age ensconced in a bubble of his own brilliance. Widely seen as one of the most accomplished scientists in the United States at the age o...

  4. An urgent, profound, and sometimes harrowing chronicle of activism and survival during the AIDS epidemic - required reading for understanding the power (and limits) of protest and community resilience. It’s tough but vital.

    I arrived in New York City for the first time on a college sojourn from Michigan, in September 1978, for an internship at the United Nations and a chance to explore Christopher Street, the mountaintop...

  5. #5

    The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time by John Kelly
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    A compulsively readable, human-focused history of the Black Death - more of an emotional journey than an exhaustive academic study. Expect vibrant anecdotes, a few creative liberties, and plenty of fascinating, grisly detail.

    FEODOSIYA SITS ON THE EASTERN COAST OF THE CRIMEA, A RECTANGULAR spit of land where the Eurasian steppe stops to dip its toe into the Black Sea. Today the city is a rusty wasteland of post-Soviet deca...

  6. #6

    Polio: An American Story by David M. Oshinsky
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    An absorbing, well-written history that goes beyond the science to tell a deeply human story - perfect for anyone curious about medical innovation and American culture. Definitely deserving of its Pulitzer Prize!


  7. A smart, accessible, and timely exploration of how animal diseases become human threats - dense in places but never dull, it’s a must-read for anyone curious about pandemics or the hidden connections between humans and the animal world.

    The virus now known as Hendra wasn’t the first of the scary new bugs. It wasn’t the worst. Compared to some others, it seems relatively minor. Its mortal impact, in numerical terms, was small at the s...

  8. Breathless is a smart, accessible, and thorough account of the scientific effort to understand Covid-19’s origins - perfect for curious minds, but perhaps too technical or narrowly focused for some.


  9. #9

    The Speckled Monster by Jennifer Lee Carrell
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    'The Speckled Monster' by Jennifer Lee Carrell is a fictionalized account of the history of smallpox and the discovery of inoculation and vaccination. The narrative follows the intertwined biographies of Zabdiel Boylston, a male physician in Boston, and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a female aristocrat in London, as they race against death by smallpox. Carrell's writing style is described as substantial, well-researched, and informative, blending elements of history and fiction seamlessly to tell the story of medical daring and desperation in the 18th century.


  10. #10

    History of Syphilis by Claude Quetel
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    The book presents the first comprehensive history of the origin of syphilis, from its appearance in Europe at the end of the fifteenth century to the present day. Quetel examines the origins and treatments of syphilis over the centuries, focusing on

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