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swirls 's review for:
The Black Death: A Personal History
by John Hatcher
Docudrama is definitely an interesting way to write history. It makes sense to do it this way - the surviving records of medieval England around the time of the Black Death are frustratingly sparse so Hatcher extrapolated from what we do have to create a what-may-have-been look at a town in Suffolk, mostly focusing on the good priest he invented.
However, I wouldn't recommend this as an initial introduction to the Black Death. It's neither a "pure" history or a "pure" novel, but something weirdly in between. I did enjoy it more than I expected, but I would have been frustrated if it was the first book I picked up on Black Death.
However, as a supplement to John Kelly's amazing, sweeping history of the Black Death, The Great Mortality, this really shines. Walsham follows the same pattern of the places explored in The Great Mortality - the initial terrifying rumors, the driving away of strangers, the deaths of whole families, the sacrifices of the selfless and caring, the abandoning of the sick and ill by the fearful, and the strange, topsy-turvy world that emerges after the passing of the pestilence. Suddenly laborers can make more money and eat well! They can refuse to work! Women can work! Everyone can wear fine clothing and ask tough theological questions! Our poor good priest is naturally overwhelmed.
However, I wouldn't recommend this as an initial introduction to the Black Death. It's neither a "pure" history or a "pure" novel, but something weirdly in between. I did enjoy it more than I expected, but I would have been frustrated if it was the first book I picked up on Black Death.
However, as a supplement to John Kelly's amazing, sweeping history of the Black Death, The Great Mortality, this really shines. Walsham follows the same pattern of the places explored in The Great Mortality - the initial terrifying rumors, the driving away of strangers, the deaths of whole families, the sacrifices of the selfless and caring, the abandoning of the sick and ill by the fearful, and the strange, topsy-turvy world that emerges after the passing of the pestilence. Suddenly laborers can make more money and eat well! They can refuse to work! Women can work! Everyone can wear fine clothing and ask tough theological questions! Our poor good priest is naturally overwhelmed.