The Complete History of the Black Death

Ole J Benedictow

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The Complete History of the Black Death

Ole J Benedictow

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2021

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About this book

Benedictow's magisterial study draws on records from across Europe to throw light on the nature of the disease, its origin, spread, mortality, and its impact on history.

The Black Death was a disaster of huge magnitude, shaking medieval Europe and beyond to its economic and social core.
Building upon his acclaimed study of 2004, Ole Benedictow here draws upon new scholarship and research to present a comprehensive, definitive account of the Black Death and its impact on European history. The medical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease, its geographical origin, its spread across Asia Minor, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Russia, and the mortality in the countries and regions for which there are satisfactory studies, are clearly presented and thoroughly discussed. The pattern, pace and seasonality of the spread of the disease reflect current medical work and standard studies on the epidemiology of bubonic plague.
Benedictow's findings make it clear that the true mortality rate was far higher than had been previously thought: some 60% of Europe's population. In the light of those findings, the discussion of the Black Death as a turning point in history takes on a new significance.

OLE J. BENEDICTOW is Professor of History at the University of Oslo.

Author / Editor information

Contributor: Ole J Benedictow OLE J. BENEDICTOW is Professor of History at the University of Oslo.

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Frontmatter
i

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Contents
vii

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List of Maps, Figures and Tables
x

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Preface to the First Edition
xv

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Author’s Note on the New and Revised Edition
xvii

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Acknowledgements
xxvii

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Glossary
xxviii

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Part I What Was the Black Death?
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1 The Black Death
3

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2 The Black Death: The Epidemic Disaster that Made History
11

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3 The Return of the Black Death and the Response
16

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4 Transmission of Lethal Doses of Bacteria in Bubonic Plague
24

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5 Medical and Clinical Features of Bubonic Plague
38

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6 Basic Aspects of the Epidemiology of Bubonic Plague
46

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7 Historical Presence and Role of Black Rats in the Black Death (and Later Plague Epidemics)
58

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8 Seasonality of Bubonic Plague
87

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Part II The Origin of Bubonic Plague and the History of Plague before the Black Death
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9 A Short History of Plague before the Black Death
97

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Part III The Outbreak and Spread of the Black Death
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10 The Original Outbreak and Early Spread of the Black Death in the Lands of the Golden Horde
137

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11 Ships and Sailing Rates: The Importance of Ships in the Spread of the Black Death
153

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12 The Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East and North Africa
160

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13 Mediterranean Europe: The Establishment of Epicentres of Spread of the Black Death in Greece, Italy and France
176

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14 The Balkan Countries and North-Eastern Italy: The Role of Venetian Galleys in the Spread of the Black Death on the Eastern Coast of the Adriatic Sea to Venice
197

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15 The Iberian Peninsula: The Spanish Kingdoms, the Kingdom of Portugal, and the Kingdom of Granada
201

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16 Italy
233

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17 France
259

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18 Belgium
304

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19 Switzerland
314

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20 Britain
325

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21 Ireland
390

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22 Norway
401

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23 Denmark
456

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24 Sweden
471

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25 The Netherlands
496

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26 Austria
504

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27 Hungary
512

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28 Germany and the State of the Order of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia and the Baltic Countries)
515

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29 Bohemia
576

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30 Poland
585

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31 Russia
604

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32 Some Countries or Regions that Escaped the Black Death
616

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33 Patterns of Conquest, Dynamics of Spread
620

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34 The Black Death Established a Plague Reservoir among Black Rats, and the Realm of the Second Plague Pandemic
638

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Part IV Mortality in the Black Death
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35 The Medieval Demographic System
647

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36 Structures of Medieval Demography and the Demography of Historical Plague Studies
663

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37 Spain
684

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38 Italy
698

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39 France and the County of Savoy
731

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40 Belgium
769

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41 Germany
774

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42 England
791

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43 How Many People Died in the Black Death?
869

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44 The Inverse Correlation between Mortality Rate and Population Density: Why the Black Death Could Kill Around 60% of Europe’s Population
877

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Part V The Black Death: A Turning Point in History?
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45 The Black Death: A Turning Point in History?
889

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Bibliography
899

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Index
975

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Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

January 30, 2024

eBook ISBN:

9781787449312

Original publisher:

Boydell Press

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781787449312

eBook ISBN: 9781787449312

Keywords for this book

Black Death; Plague; Bubonic Plague; European History; Medieval History; Middle Ages; Medical History; Pandemic; Disease; Epistemology; Population Studies; Late Medieval Ages; Forensic Medicine; Pathology; Bacteriology; Medieval medicine

Audience(s) for this book

For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research

The Complete History of the Black Death

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Maps, Figures and Tables

Preface to the First Edition

Author’s Note on the New and Revised Edition

Acknowledgements

Glossary

1 The Black Death

2 The Black Death: The Epidemic Disaster that Made History

3 The Return of the Black Death and the Response

4 Transmission of Lethal Doses of Bacteria in Bubonic Plague

5 Medical and Clinical Features of Bubonic Plague

6 Basic Aspects of the Epidemiology of Bubonic Plague

7 Historical Presence and Role of Black Rats in the Black Death (and Later Plague Epidemics)

8 Seasonality of Bubonic Plague

9 A Short History of Plague before the Black Death

10 The Original Outbreak and Early Spread of the Black Death in the Lands of the Golden Horde

11 Ships and Sailing Rates: The Importance of Ships in the Spread of the Black Death

12 The Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East and North Africa

13 Mediterranean Europe: The Establishment of Epicentres of Spread of the Black Death in Greece, Italy and France

14 The Balkan Countries and North-Eastern Italy: The Role of Venetian Galleys in the Spread of the Black Death on the Eastern Coast of the Adriatic Sea to Venice

15 The Iberian Peninsula: The Spanish Kingdoms, the Kingdom of Portugal, and the Kingdom of Granada

16 Italy

17 France

18 Belgium

19 Switzerland

20 Britain

21 Ireland

22 Norway

23 Denmark

24 Sweden

25 The Netherlands

26 Austria

27 Hungary

28 Germany and the State of the Order of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia and the Baltic Countries)

29 Bohemia

30 Poland

31 Russia

32 Some Countries or Regions that Escaped the Black Death

33 Patterns of Conquest, Dynamics of Spread

34 The Black Death Established a Plague Reservoir among Black Rats, and the Realm of the Second Plague Pandemic

35 The Medieval Demographic System

36 Structures of Medieval Demography and the Demography of Historical Plague Studies

37 Spain

38 Italy

39 France and the County of Savoy

40 Belgium

41 Germany

42 England

43 How Many People Died in the Black Death?

44 The Inverse Correlation between Mortality Rate and Population Density: Why the Black Death Could Kill Around 60% of Europe’s Population

45 The Black Death: A Turning Point in History?

Bibliography

Index

Bibliographic data