Reviewer 1-
At my university, at least, undergraduate courses in the history of medicine are becoming more popular. World History survey courses are also worming their way into curricula nationwide. Assuming my analysis of courses suited to this book is correct, the market should be growing.
I do like the idea of pairing an overarching, synthetic secondary narrative with primary sources.
I agree that epidemics need to be understood as more than just pathogens and vectors. Social, political, and economic conditions before an outbreak influence who gets exposed, who gets sick, and even who dies. Moreover, epidemics often transform social, political, and economic conditions in their wake.
I could definitely see assigning this book in my course on Epidemics in World History as I typically have a week devoted to this subject, but could expand my coverage of this subject using a work like this.
Reviewer #2
It is very clear and compelling. The proposal is well-organized and covers appropriate major themse.
What I like best is the focus on social and cultural history and the consideration of historic memory in our understanding of the epidemic.
I recommend this book for publication because I think it will be accessible to undergraduate students and will cover an important topic that is usually neglected in most U.S. history courses. Yes I would use it if published for these reasons.
Reviewer #3
The growth in the area of the history of medicine has been remarkable over the past two or three decades. It reflects the popular interest in health topics. Other history areas are fairly steady but not necessarily growing.
There has been much interest in sudden infectious epidemics since the 1980s. The shelf life could be substantial, because this topic has been deeply explored, and there are unlikely to be major expansions of the subject matter
Elegantly written, and filled with stunning original documents, The Flu Epidemic of 1918 now takes its place as the most readable and comprehensive account of this vitally important subject. I'm anxious to use it in my classes, and I recommend it to everyone interested in the impact of disease on history and public health.
- David M. Oshinsky, author of Polio: An American Story, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in History
It is invaluable to see the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic so effectively integrated into the social, medical, and military history of the period. Readers will be captivated by the pandemic's many stories and compelled by its tragedy.
- Esyllt Jones, editor of Epidemic Encounters: Influenza, Society, and Culture in Canada, 1918-1920
In this fascinating book Sandra Opdycke asks how what is arguably the most devastating disease event of the 20th century has largely escaped public view. While a few other books reflect on this as a medical event, Opdycke integrates social, political and medical history in a seamless story of early twentieth century culture and society.
- David Rosner, editor of The Contested Boundaries of American Public Health
This book by Opdycke (Vassar College), like other volumes in the series, 'Critical Moments in American History,' has two educational purposes. It assembles from the best scholarly research a coherent, cogent narrative of America coping with a world war and an influenza epidemic in the fall and winter of 1918 and 1919. It is also designed as a tool for budding historians. Primary source documents and suggested readings constitute most of the appendix and show some of the historiography of the event. Students are encouraged to study them to learn how to read and question primary sources and then to formulate from them historical conclusions. Among the book's other strengths is situating the epidemic in a global context, rather than just focusing on the American event. The author poses open questions, including the most worrisome: will there be another epidemic as horrible as the one in 1918 and will the world--let alone the US--be able to cope with it? Summing Up: Highly recommended.
- CHOICE
