The Great Influenza: The True Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History (Young Readers Edition)

by John M. Barry Narrated by Mike Chamberlain

Overview

#1 New York Times bestseller

“Barry will teach you almost everything you need to know about one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history.”-Bill Gates

"Monumental... an authoritative and disturbing morality tale."-Chicago Tribune

The strongest weapon against pandemic is the truth. Read why in the definitive account of the 1918 Flu Epidemic. 

Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research, The Great Influenza provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon. As Barry concludes, "The final lesson of 1918, a simple one yet one most difficult to execute, is that...those in authority must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. Lincoln said that first, and best. A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart."   

At the height of World War I, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

06/01/2024

Gr 5 Up—Twenty years after his 2004 bestseller and only a few years after the world's most recent pandemic, Barry has published a young readers edition of his original text. In five parts, he traces the development of public health and epidemiological research in the U.S., the role of the military and government in health policy as well as the failures of politics, propaganda, and economics that fanned the flames of the 1918 influenza pandemic. Barry delves into the state of American medical schools and the roles and backgrounds of several individuals involved in public health, immunology, and the pandemic itself. More intriguing are instances of a total lack of federal leadership, response or even acknowledgement of the outbreak, and how private organizations, such as Main Line Philadelphia families and the Red Cross answered the call that the government and the press would not. This is a scientific history leaning heavily on scientific theory, not a narrative history of the pandemic. Towards the end of the book, Barry describes a condition suffered by survivors of influenza that impacted them physically and mentally. Crucially, this may have included President Wilson at the Paris peace talks, perhaps forever affecting their outcome and contributing to the rise of Nazi Germany. The afterword concentrates on scientific, cultural, and governmental similarities and differences between influenza and COVID-19, and proves illustrative and informative. Back matter includes a timeline, key figures, endnotes, and bibliography. The lack of more visual resources is a drawback in terms of using the book for research purposes; readers may wish for maps and graphs to better understand the scale of the disaster. VERDICT For a more encapsulated history with primary sources and first-person accounts, steer interested readers towards More Deadly Than War: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War by Kenneth C. Davis. For upper-level students, Barry's longer original title, despite its length, will prove more accessible and authoritative.—Lee De Groft

Kirkus Reviews

2024-01-19
An updated young readers’ adaptation of the 2004 adult bestseller by the same name.

This holistic approach to the influenza pandemic that ravaged the planet just over a century ago starts with the development of modern medical institutions in the U.S., documenting the fight for academic rigor and the effort it took for clinicians to implement the scientific method. These scientists met their crucible when a scary new flu mutation arose among World War I soldiers. The volume does a remarkable job of concisely explaining the biology at play (both in the disease and the scientists’ attempts at solving the crisis), the geopolitics of the time, and the role of wartime propaganda in spreading misinformation (such as how the “Spanish flu” misnomer came to be). Throughout, SARS-CoV-2 is used as a relatable touchpoint for readers familiar with the Covid-19 pandemic through the use of hard facts, such as the numbers of people infected and killed and the impact of dangerous mutant swarms of RNA viruses. The engaging text highlights women’s roles in various capacities, though only a few are mentioned by name; the revolutionary scientists were “an exclusive group that included very few women.” The meticulously researched book also mentions factors—both socioeconomic (crowded living spaces) and biological (a population’s previous exposure to influenza)—that resulted in the virus hitting some ethnic groups harder than others.

A strong, multifaceted narrative sure to create enthusiasts of science and geopolitics. (key figures, timeline, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159543516
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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