The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time

1347 marked a watershed in the history of the Middle Ages. An intruder crept across Europe and Asia, striking with little warning and killing a full third of the population. No one was spared — children, the elderly, and those in the prime of life were struck down with equal ferocity by the illness known as the Black Plague.

John Kelly chronicles the origins and development of this devastating epidemic, from its origins in Central Asia to its spread eastward to China and westward to Europe, eventually spreading as far as Portugal and Scandinavia. Drawing on contemporary letters and chronicles, Kelly brings to life the world of the Plague — a world filled with fear, violence, bravery, greed and unselfish charity. He also presents evidence that the illness that so devastated two continents was not bubonic or pneumonic plague at all, but something entirely different. The Great Mortality is a gripping and unforgettable look back at a time when many thought they were witnessing the end of the world.

John Kelly, who holds a graduate degree in European history, is the author and coauthor of ten books on science, medicine, and human behavior, including Three on the Edge, which Publishers Weekly called the work of “an expert storyteller.” He lives in New York City.