“A magisterial history . . . takes the reader on a vivid tour . . . Asbridge evokes terror and pity by focusing in on what he calls ‘micro-histories.’ . . . [His] rich use of contemporary chronicles emphasizes people’s bafflement as well as horror.”—The Guardian

“Asbridge skillfully combines a global narrative of the plague with examples of horrendous personal tragedy to build a powerful portrait of a world that stared death in the face.”—The Times

“A vivid and sweeping new history of the outbreak. The Black Death is at its best when exploring the various cultural and religious reactions to unfathomable trauma, including in the Islamic world. . . . Asbridge’s extensive underlying research shows itself.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A gripping and authoritative global history of the plague . . . its impeccable, wide-ranging scholarship and its suitability for general readers make it an impressive achievement.”—Financial Times

“Terrific—and truly terrifying . . . Asbridge puts a human face—or rather multiple faces—on the Black Death, the most famous pandemic to have afflicted humankind prior to [the pandemic].”—Eric Cline, author of 1177 B.C

“Comprehensive history of a devastating plague that stretched over centuries. . . . a capable work that, as modern readers will understand, underscores the fragility of societies in the face of pandemic.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Truly mind-opening history, on a global scale that makes you rethink what you thought you knew.”—Lyndal Roper, author of Martin Luther

“Thomas Asbridge does for the Black Death what John Keegan did for battle: evoking the feeling of being there, recapturing the experience of the sufferers and survivors.”—Felipe Fernández-Armesto, author of Millennium and Civilizations

“An up-to-the-hour work of scholarship that is at the same time a page turner . . . Asbridge's definitive biography of Yersinia pestis, the germ that caused the world’s deadliest disease, is a masterpiece.”—Thomas Laqueur, author of The Work of the Dead

“This accessible and engaging global history of the Black Death takes readers on a grand tour of the plague’s ravages, revealing the lived experience both of the leading figures of the day and of ordinary men and women struggling to make sense of this calamity.”—John Aberth, author of The Black Death and Doctoring the Black Death

“[A] striking revisionist account of the Black Death. This deeply researched study of global disaster has great resonance for the present moment.”—Publishers Weekly, starred​ review