The Black Death - review

Our review of The Black Death: A Global History, by Thomas Asbridge, first published in April 2026. The Black Death: A Global History successfully combines a broad view of this demographic disaster, with tightly focussed personal stories of tragedy.It also serves as both a great introduction to the subject and a window on the latest scholarly thinking. Recommended reading! ★★★★☆ I, Agnolo di Tura, called the Fat, buried my five children with my own hands... It is impossible for the human tongue to recount the awful thing. Indeed, one who did not see such horribleness can be called blessed [and] it was all so horrendous that I, the writer, cannot think of it and so will not continue. Agnolo do Tura, local shoe maker and part time financial official, quoted in The Black Death by Thomas Asbridge The Black Death in its first wave from 1347-1353 killed millions of people across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Mortality rates differed from place to place but were usually between…