Recommended by
- Bill Gates: "This book taught me a lot about the Spanish Flu. John M. Barry’s 2004 book The Great Influenza has never been more relevant." source ↗
Summary
A detailed account of the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people worldwide, tracing the scientific, political, and military responses during World War I. First published in 2004, it examines the failures of institutional decision-making, the tension between science and politics, and the efforts of medical researchers racing to understand the virus. The book became a bestseller again during the COVID-19 pandemic for its enduring lessons on pandemics and public health leadership.