Scan barcode
Reviews
Black Death at the Golden Gate: The Race to Save America from the Bubonic Plague by David K. Randall
callieisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Compelling and informative, this loses a star only because of its brevity- I feel like it could have gone more in depth than it did (for example, in comparison to The Ghost Map). Overall, a fascinating read that I sped through in a weekend.
coffeequills's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Interesting to see that such a small detail (I won't spoil it) made such a huge impact! I enjoyed that the POV was spread across a couple prominent people during this time, and if anything, I wish there was a little more information about the individuals who were named (though that's a wish, I completely understand that it might be hard to find research from 1899 about "random person in society A" and "random person in society B.")
jeffburns's review against another edition
4.0
A deadly epidemic, originating in Asia, threatens the US. Politicians, the press, and scientists are divided and at odds with each other on how to deal with the threat. Various jurisdictions discuss and implement quarantines and start requiring health documents for travel. At-risk people are isolated. Large portions of the population lose faith in the government and the healthcare system. Many refuse vaccinations.
No, not 2020 and the pandemic. All of this took place in California in the first decade of the 20th century. In 1900, the first cases of bubonic plague, black death, occurred in San Francisco's Chinatown. Eventually, there are over 100 confirmed deaths, and probably many, many more hidden from authorities. While one bacteriologist, one of the first in America, recognizes the grave threat and fights it, politicians, the press, the US Surgeon General ( his boss), Chinese business and tong leaders, and President McKinley all actively conspire to deny the plague's existence and to destroy the career of the one man who knows what's going on.
This book, published in 2019, very much reads like an Erik Larsen or David Grann work- in other words, first-rate. ... And if you're that rare bird that has any remaining trust in politicians, journalists, or humanity in general, be prepared to lose some of it.
No, not 2020 and the pandemic. All of this took place in California in the first decade of the 20th century. In 1900, the first cases of bubonic plague, black death, occurred in San Francisco's Chinatown. Eventually, there are over 100 confirmed deaths, and probably many, many more hidden from authorities. While one bacteriologist, one of the first in America, recognizes the grave threat and fights it, politicians, the press, the US Surgeon General ( his boss), Chinese business and tong leaders, and President McKinley all actively conspire to deny the plague's existence and to destroy the career of the one man who knows what's going on.
This book, published in 2019, very much reads like an Erik Larsen or David Grann work- in other words, first-rate. ... And if you're that rare bird that has any remaining trust in politicians, journalists, or humanity in general, be prepared to lose some of it.
readermeginco's review against another edition
5.0
Remember the Middle Ages with all of its death-by-pandemic? This is a true account of when the Bubonic plague hit the United States at the turn on the last century.
For years, one of my favorite books and reading experiences for book club was Steven Johnson’s GHOST MAP. I’ve been searching for something to scratch that itch ever since, but hadn’t found anything close enough... until now.
Author David Randall tells a fascinating story about the race to discover the cause and cure, with an element of racism to foul things up even further, all set on the Pacific seaboard of the United States.
This is one of those “how have I never heard about this?!” stories from history.
For years, one of my favorite books and reading experiences for book club was Steven Johnson’s GHOST MAP. I’ve been searching for something to scratch that itch ever since, but hadn’t found anything close enough... until now.
Author David Randall tells a fascinating story about the race to discover the cause and cure, with an element of racism to foul things up even further, all set on the Pacific seaboard of the United States.
This is one of those “how have I never heard about this?!” stories from history.
raechsreads's review
3.0
After watching the show on PBS earlier this year, I wanted to read more. These historical events in our past that aren't known by everyone. It's interesting to learn how people knowingly swept the cases under the rug just so business could go on like usual.
napkins's review against another edition
5.0
AMERICANS AS A SOCIETY HAVE LEARNED NOTHING IN 100 YEARS
It was....uh...quite the time listening to this in 2022, with such lines as "He [the scientist trying to push an early vaccine and who has the most understanding of Y. pestis] could only watch as men with no scientific understanding shaped public opinion against him" and "He believed in a future where scientists had rendered the concept of infectious diseases moot, saving millions of innocent lives; instead he had to face a present where politics mattered more than honesty and ignorance more than medicine".
Though aside from having to pause more than a few times to just stare into space at how the social aspects just repeated (complete with racism, xenophobia, "but the economy", "plague is just a hoax, there's no real danger", and such), it really was fascinating. There were a number of timing and natural factors that kept it from being more widespread, but really we should all appreciate Rupert Blue a lot more and hate power play politics for stopping him so many times.
Also don't play with squirrels.
It was....uh...quite the time listening to this in 2022, with such lines as "He [the scientist trying to push an early vaccine and who has the most understanding of Y. pestis] could only watch as men with no scientific understanding shaped public opinion against him" and "He believed in a future where scientists had rendered the concept of infectious diseases moot, saving millions of innocent lives; instead he had to face a present where politics mattered more than honesty and ignorance more than medicine".
Though aside from having to pause more than a few times to just stare into space at how the social aspects just repeated (complete with racism, xenophobia, "but the economy", "plague is just a hoax, there's no real danger", and such), it really was fascinating. There were a number of timing and natural factors that kept it from being more widespread, but really we should all appreciate Rupert Blue a lot more and hate power play politics for stopping him so many times.
Also don't play with squirrels.
claire_mg4's review against another edition
5.0
A nonfiction book that reads like fiction...finished it in one day! I love history but can't stand microbiology - but this book won't bore anyone who does not like science!
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Just a cheerful book about the plague to round out my holiday reading.
In the early 1900s, plague visited California. It creeped in, set up shop in Chinatown in San Francisco, and proceeded to puzzle scientists as it would pick victims seemingly at random. Compounding their efforts to isolate a cause, local politicians staunchly refused to assist the scientists and frighten the residents. San Francisco was growing, California as a whole was growing, and it wouldn't do to frighten people, close borders, and basically anything sensible to combat the disease. Everything's fine in Ba Sing Se. It went about as well as expected.
It was an interesting read about a situation I hadn't heard of before. If the politicians in charge then had had their way, things might have turned out much worse for San Francisco, California, and the United States as a whole. I liked that the book profiled the rotating cast of doctors-in-charge and the many ways their efforts to control the disease were brought up short by everyone around them. We're apparently really good at burying our heads in the sand for the sake of personal convenience and never really learned important lessons from the past. Who knew.
I did think the book meandered a bit more than was necessary, which caused my attention to wander a bit. There was an extensive section about the California gold rush which, while relevant to explain California's development, wasn't necessarily relevant to the plague story being told. I like my sidebars and rabbit holes as much as the next person, but it made the story as a whole feel less cohesive.
Still, a super engaging read and interesting story about how politics and medical science can never seem to see eye-to-eye on anything.
In the early 1900s, plague visited California. It creeped in, set up shop in Chinatown in San Francisco, and proceeded to puzzle scientists as it would pick victims seemingly at random. Compounding their efforts to isolate a cause, local politicians staunchly refused to assist the scientists and frighten the residents. San Francisco was growing, California as a whole was growing, and it wouldn't do to frighten people, close borders, and basically anything sensible to combat the disease. Everything's fine in Ba Sing Se. It went about as well as expected.
It was an interesting read about a situation I hadn't heard of before. If the politicians in charge then had had their way, things might have turned out much worse for San Francisco, California, and the United States as a whole. I liked that the book profiled the rotating cast of doctors-in-charge and the many ways their efforts to control the disease were brought up short by everyone around them. We're apparently really good at burying our heads in the sand for the sake of personal convenience and never really learned important lessons from the past. Who knew.
I did think the book meandered a bit more than was necessary, which caused my attention to wander a bit. There was an extensive section about the California gold rush which, while relevant to explain California's development, wasn't necessarily relevant to the plague story being told. I like my sidebars and rabbit holes as much as the next person, but it made the story as a whole feel less cohesive.
Still, a super engaging read and interesting story about how politics and medical science can never seem to see eye-to-eye on anything.