But what the Plague really was and how it made history remain shrouded in a haze of myths. The details of the Plague etched in the minds of terrified schoolchildren-the hideous black welts, the high fever, and the awful end by respiratory failure-are more or less accurate. And yet, most of what we know about it is wrong. It wiped out one-third of Europe's population, and irrevocably changed the lives of those who survived. Cantor has produced an unforgettable narrative that in many ways employs the novelist's skill for storytelling.The Black Death was the fourteenth century's equivalent of a nuclear war. Though rigorously scientific in his approach, Norman F.
But this is normal for books on "European History" or "Western Civilization," so one can't complain too much.A New York Times bestseller, In the Wake of the Plague is a fascinating study of the cultural and religious consequences of one of the deadliest tragedies to befall humanity: the black plague. Also, his focus on England, France, Germany, and Italy means that we learn almost nothing about Eastern Europe and very little about Spain. By conservative, I mean that the author largely dismisses or ignores popular and non-mainstream cultures, despite the large amount that is known about them from historians' research. The main criticisms I have are that it's a bit narrow and conservative. I've found it worthwhile to listen to each section over and over to absorb all the information. The narrator does a convincing job with the French and German words, and gives it enough life to hold your attention without trying to overly dramatize a book that isn't really dramatic. But if you want to learn the basic nitty-gritty details of medieval history - who did what when, and why it mattered - this book is perfect.
If you're looking for thrilling stories, titillating facts, and hero-worship, this is not the book for you. I've had a print copy for a long time but never had the time to read most of it, so I was very happy to see this audio version. This has long been a highly regarded book summarizing the history of the Middle Ages.
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