The Great Influenza Audiobook By John M. Barry cover art

The Great Influenza

The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History

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The Great Influenza

By: John M. Barry
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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In the winter of 1918, at the height of World War I, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has killed in 24 years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision between modern science and epidemic disease.

Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research, The Great Influenza weaves together multiple narratives, with characters ranging from William Welch, founder of the Johns Hopkins Medical School, to John D. Rockefeller and Woodrow Wilson. Ultimately a tale of triumph amid tragedy, this crisis provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon.

©2004, 2005 John M. Barry (P)2006 Penguin Audio 20th Century Americas History History & Commentary History & Philosophy Medicine & Health Care Industry Modern Physical Illness & Disease Science United States Medicine Middle Ages Africa Scary Emotionally Gripping Inspiring Health

Critic reviews

"Monumental...powerfully intelligent...not just a masterful narrative...but also an authoritative and disturbing morality tale." (Chicago Tribune)

"Easily our fullest, richest, most panoramic history of the subject." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Hypnotizing, horrifying, energetic, lucid prose...." (Providence Observer)
Compelling Historical Narrative • Detailed Scientific Detective • Prescient Pandemic Warnings • Engaging Delivery
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Excellent, absolutely excellent. It is both informative and frightening. Great information on the development of medical science in America, the biology of a disease, the stupidity & ignorance of politicians and what can happen if we are not careful; all rolled into a novel that is easily understood. Recommended for all and guaranteed to scare you.

The Great Infulenza

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I purchased this book about 1 1/2 years ago. I listened to twice early on, but I decided to listen to it again given this Coronavirus pandemic that we are living through.

There are so many similarities today to the 1918 Influenza. So much learned and disregarded or forgotten. The book explains the science involved to identify the influenza and some it applies to the Coronavirus. The rapid spread is also similar. This book is a great listen. The story is very engaging and the narrator is good.

Highly recommended.

Listened to it 4 times

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A brilliant piece of storytelling that spans an age so close to our times, but one that's nearly irretrievable in terms of our ordinary experience.

However - and this is a big however - Scott Brick's narration is SO syrupy, sing-songy, and melodramatic that I found it very difficult to listen to. Brick appears to be the favorite narrator of the audiobook world, but his delivery is so cloying that it actually undermines the drama native to the account of the 1918 epidemic. History doesn't need to be acted as though it were a radio melodrama.



Extraordinary torture

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The facinating thing about this book is that we didn't learn about this in school and that our parents and grandparents didn't talk about it. John Barry weaves a story about the social, medical, political and human side of this great epidemic. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned a great deal - much of it still relevant to our present situation and our approaches to infectious disease.

Great public health

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Every literate American should read this book! This is a real-life Steven King novel. The great Influenza pandemic of 1918 mirrors our current year of 2020. As then, our country is battling multiple enemies. As then, our national leaders pursue other priorities, ignoring scientists and pretending the disease is just a minor irritant. What is most unsettling is that today, as in 1918, many of our national and state leaders are incompetents and fools who peddle quack “cures” and babble happy talk about how the virus will wither in the summer sun, or has “peaked” even while new cases and death tolls increase. Dozens of brave medical researchers desperately seek a treatment and a cure, but in 1918 medicine repeatedly comes up empty and reverts to bleeding flu victims. John M. Barry accurately forecasts there will be another pandemic. His story of the 1918-19 outbreak is gripping, insightful, terrifying, and extraordinarily well-researched. Read this book, then buckle up to ride out the horror of 1918 over again!

A Terrifying Distant Mirror

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and how we grew in our contry's medical knowledge. The flu epidemic was so consuming and so horrible that I find the loss of life described almost unreal. I cannot believe how much this country, and especially our armed forces suffered and died. And then to hear how horrible this flu murdered world wide. I just cannot believe how much and how many people died and much we depend on our medical experts.

a great history of our medical exploration

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While I admit I had more than a passing interest in the Great Flu, this story meandered just a little more than I expected and had a repetitive quality that didn't totally work for me...but I really like Scott Brick (the narrator).

Great book! Four stars from a tough critic...

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I absolutely recommend this to everyone. It is an in-depth examination into the history we don't learn in our textbooks in school. The author transports you to the early 20th century and guides you through every aspect that made the 1919 Influenza Pandemic possible.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Great Influenza?

For years, I have taught my students that Woodrow Wilson died of a stroke. No longer. The author's evidence is compelling enough that I researched this fact myself (formerly I just accepted what was written in most history books). For all intents and purposes, Woodrow Wilson died of complications due to influenza.

What three words best describe Scott Brick’s voice?

Smooth, mesmerizing, compelling.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Especially moving was the discussion of how the bodies piled up so quickly, emergency responders and city officials either too sick or too afraid to clear the streets, family members too ill to even remove bodies of their loved ones from their homes. The generation of orphans that the pandemic left is staggering.

Any additional comments?

As someone who rather enjoys dis-topian sci-fi as well as the armageddon-zombie-disaster genre, this book totally delivers. Except it's non-fiction. Made me want to stock up on hand sanitizer and move forward with my doomsday pantry.

Who needs fiction like The Walking Dead

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This book is great. At first i was getting bored with the medical history lesson and wasnt quite sure how it all related to the title, but it all came together. Its amazing all of the things that came together to create the perfect storm for this plague to cause so much death ad destruction. The scope of the deaths was far more then i first imagined.

This book was very informative, if not unsetteling. I recommend this to everyone.

Scott brick does an awsome job with the narration.

Lots of info on progression of medical field

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It’s almost as if you could remove the word “influenza” and replace it with COVID-19...almost.

What is certain is that, as usual, humanity has learned nothing at all from past mistakes, those we should listen to see ignored and those who we should ignore are placed on a pedestal.

Back to the future?

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