Britain and the 1918-19 Influenza Pandemic

<p>Between August 1918 and March 1919 a flu pandemic spread across the globe and in just under a year 40 million people had died from the virus worldwide. This is the first book to provide a total history and seriously analyze the British experiences during that time.<br><br>The book provides the most up-to-date tally of the pandemic’s impact including the vast mortality as well as questioning the apparent origins of the pandemic. A ‘total’ history this book ranges from the spread of the 1918–1919 pandemic to the basic biology of influenza and how epidemics and pandemics are possible to consider the demographic social economic and political impacts of such a massive pandemic including the cultural dimensions of naming blame metaphors memory the media art and literature. </p><p>An inter-disciplinary study it stretches from history and geography through to medicine in order to convey the full magnitude of the first global medical ‘disaster’ of the twentieth century and looks ahead to possible pandemics of the future.</p><p>Niall Johnson brings an impressive scholarly eye on this fascinating and highly relevant topic making this essential reading for historians and those with an interest in British and medical history.</p>