The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague Compiled from Contemporary Sources

by Johannes Nohl

Book Overview

Hailed by the New York Times as ""unusually interesting both as history and sociological study,"""The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague" traces the ebb and flow of European pandemics over the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0049420585
• ISBN13: 9780049420588
• Release Date: January 1961
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Insight into first hand reports

Very interesting and touching compilation of a lot "historians" from different era's of the black death starting in de 1300's, but the plague over the centuries. It is amazing how fast the spreading was in villages and a lot of people also died of starvation because life simply stopped in the area. It makes you wonder this was not just spread by rodents, if at all. It seems more like a gas or airborne virus.

The most impressive book on this topic

The author approaches the subject from the different angles. Amazing facts and stories. Uses multiple historical references.

Brings Powerful Lessons on How People Reacted to The Black Death

Johannes Nohl wrote and compiled an interesting work entitled "The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague," which revealed eye-opening contemporary accounts of the Black Death during the Medieval Europe. With roughly 270 pages and twelve chapters, this book gives one a new and shocking perspective on the history of the Black Death: the reactions of the people to the plague. The Black Death was one of the worst disasters in the history of humankind to which it killed off the third of the whole population, beginning in the year of 1348. And, this book brought forth the personal experiences and official documents to give the reader to deeply understand what the people of that ill-fated era were experiencing. Nohl's work is rather unique because of its degree to the aspects of historical, sociological, and geographical nature. The book begins with the aspects of the plague, including the victims and the deaths, to the causes of the plague, to which some believed it to be of a divine origin or other forms of superstitions or beforehanded seen "fateful comets." Then, the author goes on to bring to light of the medical profession and its role during the plague, the detailed accounts that might prevent the plague, the precaution measurements by the Church and the governments, the role of the Church, and moral collapse and other elements. And, the rest of the book deals with the issue of persecutions of the Jews and their role, the issue of sexuality and the appearance of respectability where it "had disappeared after the terror of the Black Death had swept away not only all law courts and police, but had destroyed the last conventions of decency" (p. 207). Finally, the discussion of the role of flagellants and the personal accounts surrounding them during the plague, and then the author finally wrapped up the book with a brief aftermath of the plague where the "joy" returned. Personally, I found this book to be quite an eye-opening and shocking to which I felt it was very important for one to read the contemporary detailed accounts, both officially and intimately, from the people who lived through or died in the Black Death. When one read the history about the Black Death, a very little can be understood about the magnitude or the impact of the plague on the people until one personally experience the detailed graphic accounts from the people who lived and died during the deadly plague. I believe this book to be one of the most important works for the study of the Black Death because it surly brings the powerful lessons on how medieval people reacted to the plague and how the few survived such a worst disaster.

Find out why kids play "Ring a ring of roses..."

I read a book about the Black Death over 20 years ago .I can't remember the name of the author;but I recall that it was a good sized hardcover about an inch or so thick with a fair number of illustrations.What I remember was ; I thought it was very good ,but the thing that remained with me was the effect it had on the feudal system.Until the 1350's people felt that the upper class,aristocracy,feudal lords,etc.;were special and the common people were beneath them.When the Plague devastated Europe people saw the disease took everyone regardless of station in society and they realized they did not have to be subjugated to the rulers;therefore the feudal system collasped,never to return.In other words the Black Death created the birth of the free man. When I saw this book by Nohl,I thought it would be much the same.Actually this book shows the Black Death affected much more. It affected everything,how medical practioners were helpless,lawlessness,morality ,witchcraft,religion,family life cannabilism,persecution of others,children,music and dance;and then after it had run it's course an explosive recovery occurred.The population increased rapidly,music and dance exploded,clothes became colorful,elaborate hair styles were everywhere and life became victorious again.This rapid recovery bore testimony to the indestructibility of the human race.Believe it or not;no matter how far humanity descends,there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.