Title: The Black Death
Subtitle: the great mortality of 1348-1350 : a brief history with documents
First published: 2005
Description: A fascinating account of the phenomenon known as the Black Death, this volume offers a wealth of documentary material focused on the initial outbreak of the plague that ravaged the world in the fourteenth century. A comprehensive introduction that provides important background on the origins and spread of the plague is followed by nearly 50 documents organized into topical sections that focus on the origin and spread of the illness; the responses of medical practitioners; the societal and economic impact; religious responses; the flagellant movement and attacks on Jews provoked by the plague; and the artistic response. Each chapter has an introduction that summarizes the issues explored in the documents; headnotes to the documents provide additional background material. The book contains documents from many countries including Muslim and Byzantine sources to give students a variety of perspectives on this devastating illness and its consequences. The volume also includes illustrations, a chronology of the Black Death, questions to consider, a selected bibliography, and an index."
Subjects: Black Death, Sources, Personal Narratives, History, Plague, Epidemics, Middle Ages, General & miscellaneous medieval history, Disease Outbreaks, Medieval History
Places: Europe
LC classification: RC178.A1 A237 2005