The Great Influenza cover art

The Great Influenza

The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Great Influenza

By: John M. Barry
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £13.45

Buy Now for £13.45

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 twenty-four weeks than AIDS has killed in twenty-four 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. 20th Century Americas Contagious Diseases History History & Philosophy Modern Physical Illness & Disease Science United States Medical Education Military Middle Ages Medicine
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

Over a year on The New York Times bestseller list

"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

"A sobering account of the 1918 flu epidemic, compelling and timely. —The Boston Globe

"History brilliantly written... The Great Influenza is a masterpiece." —Baton Rouge Advocate
All stars
Most relevant
A terrifying read brought to life by Scott Brick . Cant recommend it enough really.

fabulous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellently researched and constructed into a very listenable story. Especially interesting with the current Covid 19 pandemic

Fascinating story and very relevant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It is the most comprehensive account of the flu pandemic that is both scientific and engaging on many levels.

comprehensive

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Not since reading William Shirer's account of the rise and fall of the third Reich have I read a more detailed account of a major historical event. this is a thumping great read with intricate detail. were I able I would have read it in one sitting

unputdownable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Reading this during the Covid-19 pandemic, really hits home.. Its painfully clear due to the lack of preparation, the large loss of life could have been avoided, if only more people in positions of power had read this. A fantastic overview not only of the pandemic and its wide-ranging effects, but also provides a detailed history of the development of medical science. As a junior biomedical scientist, I loved it!

Furthermore, very clear narration and pace.

impressive, comprehensive, and terrifying

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews