Review by Choice Review
Echenberg (history, McGill) takes a broad comparative approach to the bubonic plague pandemic that struck port cities around the world during the waning years of the 19th century. He does an excellent job of presenting the complex political and social consequences of the plague. A major theme is the often-contentious relationships between Western imperialists and their colonial subjects. Western medical approaches often came into conflict with traditional medical practices of indigenous people. Public health measures imposed on native populations were sometimes a source of deep resentment and social unrest. The plague arrived during a period when the bacteriological revolution started by Pasteur and Koch was in its ascendancy. The causative agent and disease vectors of bubonic plague were quickly discovered, and some moderately effective vaccines were developed. Nonetheless, bacteriologists were unable to prevent the deaths of several million people worldwide. In a sobering conclusion, Echenberg discusses how the bubonic plague mortality illustrates the disparities between rich and poor populations, the continuing threat of plague in less developed parts of the world, and the broader implications of this historical episode for understanding the social and political consequences of pandemic diseases. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. J. B. Hagen Radford University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
