The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History - The Great Influenza

The Great Influenza is fascinating for most part. The beginning is a bit slow, with a history of medicine and how it was just changing into science at the beginning of the 1900s. But then it picks up speed and tells the story of the 1918 flu. The role that politics and the 1st World War played in the spread of that flu surprised me, circumstances that will probably not recur. Explanations of the specifics of influenza and the hunt for a cure or a vaccine were detailled and interesting. I finally understand what H1N1 stands for! I felt this book gave me a good background for understanding "swine flu" and what we could face in the future.

This is a great book about the 1918 influenza outbreak that killed around 50 million and it presents the little known fact that this outbreak began in Kansas, USA. Makes one wonder about what could happen with the Ebola virus or any number of other organism that in the, modern world could be spread over most of the earth in a matter of days.

The influenza epidemic of 1916 and later was an awful experience for the country - probably much worse than anyone now alive realizes. The nearest simile I can think of would be a nuclear attack on this country. This book lays out the horror of the experience from the point of view of the medical professionals who tried to deal with it. The book also presents a lot of the medical science of the time that tried to figure out what was going on. It's very well-written and recommended.

Well researched, frighteningly factual, and relevant today with our ever shrinking world and anti-science mentality by some people...not to mention deteriorating health standards in many foreign countries.

As a Historian I have always been interested in the impact that disease has had on mankind and politics. Make no mistake about it, disease is as much a part of History as wars or politics.

There is much to "like" in this book. I learned things that I did not expect. I was totally engrossed in the story of how science worked to uncover the causes of "The Flu" and how this research gave rise to the juggernaut that is American medicine today.

I was also fascinated in learning that this Flu may have killed more people than any other disease except for Malaria, which, I have been told, has killed 50% of all the people who have ever lived. The total dead is impossible to say because it wiped out entire villages that were totally isolated and thus no one learned of their deaths until much later.

This disease appeared with no warning and just as suddenly disappeared. But the horror of this, besides the number of deaths, is that science has no idea what caused it, why it disappeared and they were never able to come up with any type of weapon against it. You got it and you either died or you lived. And the scientists and doctors were not sure why.

John Barry does a phenomenal job in bringing to light the single most important factor in American Medicine. This epidemic led to American Medicine being brought out of the dark ages and into the scientific era.

This book is excellent and I have given it to many people who also thought that it was an incredible work.

Outstanding read. Long, and carefully researched takes reader thorugh vaccine development; has
military implications, contagion chains, and communications constraints in times of war.
Run don't walk to get your immunizations updates. Pace and depth makes this a great "summer book."

Although it covers the 1918 Influenza, it is more a history of modern medical technique and the beginning of laboratory research. Interesting but very long and I really didn't think I needed biographical information of just about every medical researcher of the period. Most interesting was the story of the start of Johns Hopkins and its tremendous influence on medical procedure.

This is an excellent description of the 1918-1919 pandemic and I highly recommend you read it, particularly if you are trying to understand the warnings and concerns about the coming influenza pandemic. Yes, deadly pandemic is coming. Barry explains epidemic activity and what issues have to be addressed in order to prepare for the next big outbreak. It is chilling, even terrifying, to infer from the present day avian flu incidents that the virus is currently going through passage, and then try to envision its expression as pandemic. In addition, and importantly, Barry explains meticulously the evolution of modern medical education, the importance of leaders like Welch, and the indispensable requirement for scientifically sound, research-based training and methods of investigation. While I do not necessarily disagree with Barry's social commentary, I found that much of it seemed gratuitous, and I think the book would have been much stronger if it had been edited with as rigorous an effort as Barry so carefully and commendably attributes to the foundation of modern medicine. That said, I strongly recommend the book.

Superbly written account of not only the pandemic itself, which was horrifying in its virulence, but also of the history of medicine in the United States. The author recounts, with clarity and conciseness, the dismal state of medical knowledge in the mid-19th century, and describes how a few pioneers launched scientific medicine in the U.S., focusing on the establishment of Johns Hopkins University as a world-renowned leader in medical research. The unfolding of the research counter-attack to the disease reads like a first rate detective story, complete with insight into the historical context of WWI, and the political machinations of national "leaders" who abandoned common sense to pursue narrow political goals. The best and worst of human nature is brought to light, all the more compelling because the story is based on facts that we are never exposed to in our typically cursory overview of American history. If you like history, detective stories, political drama, medicine, or mysteries, you will like this book!

Wonderful, detailed insightful reporting on what happened, how it happened, where it happened, and whether it might happen again. Gives detailed scientific information, but not beyond the reader's comprehension.
This is one of the better books I have ever read!

An amazing story overshadowed by WWI. However it was actually WWI that, to a large degree enabled this disease to spread worldwide with little effort to contain it. Our Federal, Stat and local government(s) refused (for a time)to even acknowledge that an epidemic existed..much to everyone's peril.

Massive amounts of research went into the writing of this book. The author takes you into the middle of the epidemic and into the minds of researchers across the US who worked tirelessly to find a cure for this sickness.

I bought this after seeing a recent television show which focused on the avian flu and the possibility of another flu epidemic. I was convinced that we're due (maybe way OVERDUE)for one soon, whether it is the particular avian flu that has people so alarmed now - or another strain we can't even imagined.

Bottom line - at some point, odds are high that a virus will be transmitted from human to human, after going from bird to human first...and that the consequences will be catastrophic - IF we don't start making some changes now. And IF the people on that show were right about the effects of the flu, Baby Boomers owe it to their children to learn about the flu because, ironically, it tends to hit those between the ages of 20-40 the hardest, NOT those who are very young or those in their 50s. Oh, yeah, it also (according to some experts) killed 55% of ALL pregnant women who got the flu (has to do with vagaries of the immune system during pregnancy that put these women at special risk).

Even if you aren't into dark speculations or "What ifs", you're likely to find this book fascinating, mainly because the author put such time, effort and research into producing a recreation of the history of one of the truly seminal events in human history. The result? A riveting portrait of a time when people were literally dying by the thousands, when trenches had to be dug to bury all the dead (no time to make enough coffins or bury the dead in a timely, honorable manner). In short, things got very, very grim.

Reading about how people dealt with the epidemic couldn't help but get me to think about how we'd deal with now, especially in a world that has a global economy of massive proportions. I think the results would be far more devastating than they were then, especially since so many of our products come from overseas, including much of our medications. What happens to those products when and if borders are closed?

Whether you simply want to read about history or you want to use this as a jumping off point for thinking about the future, The Great Influenza deserves top billing on your "to do" list.

Admittedly, there are some flaws in this book and the author does tend towards the overly dramatic at times but the strengths of this book far overcame those and I couldn't bring myself to give it less than a "5" because I think it is a book that should be read by as many people as possible right now.

Some chapters stand on their own, so if you are the type of reader who likes to "browse" through sections of books, you could actually do that with parts of this book (especially the parts which focus on good science and bad science). But I'd recommend you start on page one and read it straight through in order to get a better perspective.

Being in the medical profession - this book should be required reading - the only thing about this event in history - it's been largely forgotten in world history - the author stated it killed 100 million people - and it's strange but we're overdue for an epidemic like this to happen again - it's not "if" - it's is when!

John Barry presents an interesting history of the development of medical care in the U.S. He goes on to tell the story of the 1918 pandemic in graphic and compelling detail. Although it becomes rather ponderous by the end, there is a lesson to be learned. Governments and individuals need to be prepared to weather the storm of massive illness and deaths, as well as interruption of all government, business, medical and social services.

This is a very timely book going into great detail concerning the deadliest pandemic in modern history. Although I enjoyed the history of medicine, I would have given this book 5 stars if it were more concise and lead into influenza and pandemic details more quickly.

I was fascinated by the authors theory of President Wilson's neurologic sequelae potentially causing his lapses in judgment that may have had profound effects on our future. I was also amazed by the power and control that the U.S. government garnered during WW I. It was also interesting to find the true source of the pandemic to be in a small town in the U.S.

With the current swine flu pandemic underway, I am hopeful that if/when the next wave hits it will not be as lethal as the 1918 strain and that a effective vaccine will be available soon.

The history of medicine in the United States was very interesting. I never know how backward we were and how quickly we caught up to Europe. That alone is a fascinating story. I was first drawn to this book because both of my grandmothers had the disease and survived. One of them met her future husband (Grandpa) when he nursed her through the illness. I now appreciate, as I did not before, how horrible the experience was for her and why it remained a strong memory to the end of her days.
The book is well written and thorough. It is not a casual read - I found I had to concentrate to keep the strings of the narration clear - but it was very engaging. It made me late for work more than once because I couldn't stop reading.

Very well done. It was fascinating. I lost a 2nd great uncle in the the Great Influenza. I wasn't very curious about the worldly success of the scientists. The author took them to task if they did not become famous and wealthy. Oh, well.

Good information. Provided a summary history of medical school training for doctors up to 1918 in the United States. Very interesting, some basic biology of viruses, conditions for troops in WWI, and the pandemic.

The sentence structure us by the author did not "flow" and was hard to read.

I really enjoyed reading this book and sent a copy to my son and to some friends. It amazing how far the field of medicine has come since 1918. This book includes insights into the evolving medical profession in the US as well as a little about Europe medical around 1918.

I have found The Great Influenza to be an immensely readable book. It talks about a subject that could easily become mundane and pedantic but does not. John M. Barry is a good writer who has fleshed out a readable mystery story from a very real and complex horror story.

If I had to compare this book to another, it would be to The Hot Zone. The subject of both books is a virus; both involve the efforts of scientists to "solve" the deadly virus against tremendous time pressure. Both are very readable.

My paternal grandfather died during the height of the pandemic in 1918. I had heard about how bad it was, but never really understood the scope of the problem.

The Great Influenza will remain on my bookself.

The history of medicine in the United States was very interesting. I never know how backward we were and how quickly we caught up to Europe. That alone is a fascinating story. I was first drawn to this book because both of my grandmothers had the disease and survived. One of them met her future husband (Grandpa) when he nursed her through the illness. I now appreciate, as I did not before, how horrible the experience was for her and why it remained a strong memory to the end of her days.
The book is well written and thorough. It is not a casual read - I found I had to concentrate to keep the strings of the narration clear - but it was very engaging. It made me late for work more than once because I couldn't stop reading.

Very well done. It was fascinating. I lost a 2nd great uncle in the the Great Influenza. I wasn't very curious about the worldly success of the scientists. The author took them to task if they did not become famous and wealthy. Oh, well.

Good information. Provided a summary history of medical school training for doctors up to 1918 in the United States. Very interesting, some basic biology of viruses, conditions for troops in WWI, and the pandemic.

The sentence structure us by the author did not "flow" and was hard to read.

I really enjoyed reading this book and sent a copy to my son and to some friends. It amazing how far the field of medicine has come since 1918. This book includes insights into the evolving medical profession in the US as well as a little about Europe medical around 1918.

I have found The Great Influenza to be an immensely readable book. It talks about a subject that could easily become mundane and pedantic but does not. John M. Barry is a good writer who has fleshed out a readable mystery story from a very real and complex horror story.

If I had to compare this book to another, it would be to The Hot Zone. The subject of both books is a virus; both involve the efforts of scientists to "solve" the deadly virus against tremendous time pressure. Both are very readable.

My paternal grandfather died during the height of the pandemic in 1918. I had heard about how bad it was, but never really understood the scope of the problem.

The Great Influenza will remain on my bookself.

A very well written documentary about the great influenza pandemic. Everyone alive today undoubtedly has a relative that died from this influenza strain. A truly unbelievable but true story of a modern day black plague. Everyone should read this book. Easy to read and impossible to put down.

(I only give 5 stars for works so exceptional that they rank above all other similar works. 4 Stars is something I would recommend to anyone.)

I was astounded the other day when a co-worker knew nothing about, or had even heard of, an epidemic that killed nearly a fourth of the world’s population. It was then that I realized that I knew only scant details myself. This book traces the outbreak from its likely humble origins in Kansas to the devastating death toll worldwide.

But it isn’t just a story about the path of contagion or a grisly body count. It introduces the men who had to fight the epidemic and the work they did creating a system that could fight it. These were men who had spent the best part of their lives creating systems and creating modern medicine from a profession that had changed little since ancient Greece.
It also delves into the science of virology. This is not an exhaustive course but an explanation that allows a layman and non-scientist to understand how viruses and especially influenza works on the human body, spreads and jumps species.

This book gives you only the history of the pandemic but a very clear understanding why China would destroy every chicken and most swine in Hong Kong in 2002. It’s also quietly terrifying to think that this killer lurks out there waiting for another chance to slaughter a good portion of the human race.

This book covers so much territory that I am sure I will want to read it again! Part war story, part medical mystery, it grips the imagination from the start! If I had one criticism it would be that there is so much excitement here that it's almost overwhelming!

This is an amazingly detailed account of the Great Flu epidemic of 1918, which killed millions around the world. Mr. Barry's research is astounding. I strongly urge anyone interested in how it happened to read his book. Besides a new strain of influenza (which happens repeatedly), much of the world was at war. This resulted in tremendous overcrowding of military bases, combined with censorship. Thus, the flu spread quickly, and the governments refused to acknowledge it. This allowed it to spread even faster. A fascinating read of the disaster, and the human response to it.

My grandmother died in this pandemic when my dad was 3 years old. I've always wondered why science failed so miserably in what I considered to be a fairly modern age. What I learned from this very well researched book is that medicine and science were just emerging from the dark shadows of history. "Germ Theory" had not long been universally accepted. Nevertheless, enormous progress had been made with many devastating diseases thanks to medical pioneers extensively profiled in this book. The scary surprise for me was the influenza virus itself. It's one of the most infectious and fast mutating - a moving target that is exceeding difficult to hit. And, most frightening, they still haven't figured it out! When you hear that the annual flu vaccination isn't as effective as hoped, it's because during the time it takes to produce the vaccine, it's mutated into a different form. The potential for a modern day influenza pandemic is very great. I'm going to start getting flu shots. It's better than nothing!

Terrific account as to the deadliest pandemic in history and what people should expect when the next pandemic will happen. It gives you an idea as to how it can happen and how it could happen again. Buy it - it's worth it.

My grandfather lost a lung to the influenza pandemic. He and my grandmother met in a hospital ward where she served as a nurse. So I have a personal interest in this story. I wound up skimming the last quarter, however. Too much repetition, too many statistics, too many names, too little progress.

An absolutely fascinating and detailed review of the 1918 influenza pandemic and the various factors that contributed to its spread and mortality rate. While it does delve somewhat into the mechanics of viruses and medical science as a whole, the majority of the book examines the related state of medicine and other external factors.

I was quite impressed finding a long swath of citations at the end of the book, some of which I explored. The images were also fascinating and added nicely to the text. I'd say this provides an excellent introduction to the development of modern medicine, illustrating its change from a barbaric and primitive hobby to the useful science we have today within the context of the 1918 influenza. Some of the personal development stories are very enthralling.

What a surprise that such a title could have been such a grand informative discussion of the history of the making of the marvelous US medical system, we currently have, whose origins are not of the government but free enterprise and the history of the end of the Ottoman Empire and WW I. The handling of the deadly influenza pandemic has scary parallels with today's politically inclined handling of the Ebola virus. The reluctance of WW I elected officials to not encourage public gathering, when the deadly pandemic was at its worse would have been worse, except for the gains the medical community had made, beginning in the late 1800s.. The short discussion on the Ebola virus in this book written in around 2000 suggest that there is a lot unknown about the Ebola virus, but the real message is how not to handle a deadly pandemic and a book choice politicians and citizens should read to encourage discussion void of politics and all inclusive of science. In other words it ain't what you feel it is. What it is must come entirely from a deliberate scientific discussion. With such an approach if the fatality rate is 70% if one comes in contact with the skin, why would anyone treating such a disease or WMD have exposed skin. If it has been determined that a sneeze can leave an infectious source is it prudent that anyone exposed to such a source would want to endanger those about them? Is this in fact true? The first American infected with the Ebola Virus still does not know how he became inflected. This book should be a must read for anyone who seeks to build a correct methodology to stop any deadly pandemic potential.

Every American needs to read this book.
Our history was so white washed, and I was never told any thing like this in school.
The minute men were hired to kill anyone in disagreement with the war.
I love knowledge. I hate being lied to.
From the beginning of WW1 this country has been lied to, cheated, and if you have a brain you know that ALL news is controlled by the president/government from the beginning of WW1 and they never let go.

The influenza epidemic of 1918 took millions of lives worldwide. Barry's book reminds us just how bad it was and discusses the implications for today's worries about avian flu or some other source of a new pandemic. I found the history of U.S. medicine in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century fascinating. I did not realize that the scientific method was just beginning to be used in this country. The foreshadowing of the influenza plague in the early part of the book was a bit overdone. A bit more editing to excise redundancy would have been a good idea.

A really detailed history of medicine and the people who helped develop vaccines. I had no idea how many died across the world from this influenza. An interesting account of how our government turned a blind eye to this for so long. A very good read.

The facts about virus' and Flu specifically are worth the price of this book. We get flu many times in our lives. What is it? Find out!

However, what made this book readable, page turnable, was the history of medicine, that turning point at the end of the 19th century that made a physician a scientist. Virus' had a lot to do with it. As well, we see where science, i.e. facts, came from, and why New Age alternatives remain a billion dollar business. There isn't anything new about alternative health solutions!

My eyes were opened, my perspective was enhanced, and I always recommend any book that does that!