Sunday, April 24, 2016

Book Review: The Black Death, A History from Beginning to End

Written by Henry Freeman.

If you wanted a in-depth view and hearty 500 page book....this is NOT for you.  It's a 45-page introduction to the plague and the history in Europe around the disease.

It's designed to be a book you can read over a weekend and get yourself up to speed on the history aspects.

Three observations over the book.  First, it's free....yes, free.  If you own a Kindle, you can go and download the book for nothing.  It's a start-up of a series of such history books which eventually cost something (probably a $1)....but right now, it costs nothing.

Second, most people have a curiosity about history events, but don't want a 500-page book with 2,000 names and places mentioned.  This book fills the void on the plague that you might have an interest in knowing the whole story.

Third, Freeman tries to make an emphasis over the massive population losses (half the population of Europe is thought to have died during the period).  The problem is that no real statistical data exists and you simply have to accept the general description given.

I recommend the book for those who might want a simple introduction, and maybe later build onto that knowledge with the hearty-produced books.

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