Books on the Black Death

The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe, by Robert S. Gottfried, Phyllis Corzine
A fascinating work of detective history, The Black Death traces the causes and far-reaching consequences of this infamous outbreak of plague that spread across the continent of Europe from 1347 to 1351. Drawing on sources as diverse as monastic manuscripts and dendrochronological studies (which measure growth rings in trees), historian Robert S. Gottfried demonstrates how a bacillus transmitted by rat fleas brought on an ecological reign of terror -- killing one European in three, wiping out entire villages and towns, and rocking the foundation of medieval society and civilization. (UK )

When Plague Strikes: The Black Death, Smallpox, AIDS, by James Cross Giblin, David Frampton (Illustrator)
Compassionate and arresting, this exploration of three major diseases that have changed the course of history— the bubonic plague, smallpox, and AIDS—chronicles their fearsome death toll, their lasting social, economic, and political implications, and how medical knowledge and treatments have advanced as a result of the crises they have occasioned. Grades 6-12 (UK )

King Death: The Black Death and Its Aftermath in Late-Medieval England, by Colin Platt
The Black Death came to England is 1348 and for over three centuries bubonic plague remained a continual and threatening presence in the everyday life of the country. Written with verve and rich in detail, King Death offers an important analysis of one of the most potent instruments of change in late-medieval England, and a fascinating insight into the industry of death that pestilence brought with it.

The Black Death, by Philip Ziegler
Between 1347 and 1350, the Black Death killed at least one third of Europe's inhabitants. Bringing total destruction, the plague was greeted with incomprehension and a terrified helplessness as it spread from Asia into Europe, reaching England in 1348. Philip Ziegler's classic account traces the course of the virulent epidemic through Europe and its dramatic effect on the lives of those whom it afflicted. It includes detailed chapters on the state of medical knowledge, the position of the church, and the broader social and economic repercussions such as well as a fascinating reconstruction of life in a medieval English village suddenly overtaken by plague. (UK )

See also: Black Death