Plagues and Peoples
Plagues and Peoples by William Hardy McNeill, published by Penguin Books in 1979, explores the significant influence of infectious diseases on the development and decline of civilizations. This edition spans 330 pages and is presented in English. The book examines historical events, such as the impact of plague on the Athenian army during the Peloponnesian War and the role of smallpox in the conquest of the Aztec Empire, illustrating how epidemics have shaped human history.
Readers will find a thorough analysis of various diseases, including syphilis, cholera, and malaria, and their devastating effects on societies over centuries. McNeill compiles evidence to highlight the central role of pestilence in human affairs, demonstrating how these health crises have altered the trajectory of civilizations. This work provides a detailed account of the interplay between disease and history, making it a significant contribution to the understanding of civilization and epidemics.
Official synopsis Publisher
This book describes the dramatic impact of infectious diseases on the rise and fall of civilisations. Plague demoralized the Athenian army during the Peloponnesian war, and ravaged the Roman Empire. In the 16th century smallpox was the decisive agent that allowed Cortez with only 600 men to conquer the Aztec empire, whose subjects numbered millions. As recently as 1918-19 an epidemic of influenza claimed twenty-one million victims, and seemed to threaten civilization itself. Diseases such as syphilis, cholera, smallpox and malariahave been devastating to humanity for centuries. Now professor McNeill, through an accumulation of evidence, demonstrates the central role of pestilence in human affairs and the extent to which it has changed the course of history.
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