In 1918, the Italian-Americans of New York City, the Yupik of Alaska and the Persians of Mashed had practically absolutely nothing in typical other than for a virus– one that set off the worst pandemic of modern-day times and had a decisive effect on the history of the twentieth century. The Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was among the best human disasters of perpetuity. It infected a third of individuals in the world– from the poorest immigrants of New York City to the king of Spain, Franz Kafka, Mahatma Gandhi and Woodrow Wilson. But in spite of a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people, it exists in our memory as an afterthought to World War I. In this gripping narrative history, Laura Spinney traces the overlooked pandemic to reveal how the infection travelled across the globe, exposing humanity’s vulnerability and putting our ingenuity to the test. As socially considerable as both world wars, the Spanish influenza dramatically interrupted– and often permanently modified– international politics, race relations and household structures, while spurring development in medicine, faith and the arts. It was instrumental, Spinney argues, for pushing India to independence, South Africa to apartheid and Switzerland to the verge of civil war. It likewise created the true “lost generation.” Making use of the most recent research in history, virology, public health, psychology and economics, Pale horse masterfully recounts the little-known catastrophe that forever changed humanity.
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