Cheryl R. (Spuddie) -
Helpful Score: 2
Non-fiction about an epidemic of bubonic plague that struck San Francisco beginning in 1900, and how political maneuvering, bigotry and power plays impacted the severity of the disease. The real death toll from the plague began to add up in the months and years after the 1906 earthquake and fire, when politicians and healthcare experts finally began to sit up and take notice. A little dry in spots, but it is non-fiction after all. Lots of good plague-y information as well as a good dissection of a major public health disaster in relatively modern times.
Dan L. (lampdan) reviewed The Barbary Plague : The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco on + 12 more book reviews
Excellent book, covering an interesting and peculiar historical episode with all the thrill of a detective novel.
