Overview

A History of the World in Six Plagues unveils a powerful and unsettling truth: epidemic diseases enter the world by chance, but they become catastrophic by human design. 'If everyone read Edna Bonhomme's incredible, humane, insightful book - and I hope they do - we might stand a chance' Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of An Immense World 'Poignant' Salon 'Could not be more urgent' The Baffler In this groundbreaking work, Bonhomme explores how six pivotal diseases - Cholera, HIV/AIDS, the Spanish Flu, Sleeping Sickness, Ebola and COVID-19 - have shaped the trajectory of human history. Through vivid storytelling and rigorous research, she reveals how pandemics have consistently widened the gaps in racial, economic and sociopolitical divides, from the slave ships of the Atlantic to today's fractured healthcare systems. How did a colonial obsession with sugar amplify the devastation of Cholera? Why did sleeping sickness become a weapon of empire in Tanzania? And how has COVID-19 magnified inequities in our modern, interconnected world? Bonhomme's incisive analysis transforms our understanding of public health, not as a neutral force but as a stage where power, policy and prejudice collide. Urgent and illuminating, A History of the World in Six Plagues is not just a history of disease, it is a call to reimagine a more equitable future in the face of ongoing global health challenges. 'Fascinating and thought-provoking' Jonathan Kennedy, author of Pathogenesis: How Germs Made History 'Tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time' Morgan Jenkins, author of Wandering in Strange Lands

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9780349704395

Table of Contents

Reviews

Pandemics thrive on inequities and widen them, providing more kindling for future plagues. This simple lesson has proven devastatingly difficult to learn. But I think that if everyone read Edna Bonhomme's incredible, humane, insightful book--and I hope they do--we might stand a chance of actually breaking the cycle of neglect and panic. -- Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I CONTAIN MULTITUDES and AN IMMENSE WORLD Engaging and poignant. * Salon * Deeply compassionate . . . A History of the World in Six Plagues could not be more urgent. * The Baffler * An expansive portraiture of how colonialism and confinement have influenced our understanding of illness and humanity . . . This book is tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time. -- Morgan Jerkins, author of WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS A fascinating and thought-provoking read, combining keenly observed anthropological insights, captivating historical narratives and biting social critique. -- Jonathan Kennedy, author of PATHOGENESIS: HOW GERMS MADE HISTORY A breathtaking journey through the intertwined histories of contagions and systemic inequities that have shaped our history . . . Bonhomme's thought-provoking exploration not only sheds light on past injustices but challenges us to confront our history and envision a more compassionate future. -- Uché Blackstock, author of LEGACY A powerful book that shines a light on the parts of life we'd rather ignore, and the beauty that can arise from horror. -- Sarah Jaffe, author of FROM THE ASHES Ambitious in her scope yet intimate in her humane storytelling, Bonhomme has written the book we need to navigate life on our interconnected planet. Brilliant, tender and illuminating. -- Steven W. Thrasher, author of THE VIRAL UNDERCLASS: THE HUMAN TOLL WHEN INEQUALITY AND DISEASE COLLIDE This book is a tour de force! . . . A History of the World in Six Plagues will change how people think about public health and histories of medicine. -- Dr. Tiffany N. Florvil, Associate Professor of History at The University of New Mexico and author of MOBILIZING BLACK GERMANY Equal parts intimate portrait of illness and piercing analysis of our socio-political predicament . . . Let this book be a guide for our pandemic past, present and probable--but by no means inescapable--future. -- George Aumoithe, Assistant Professor of History at Harvard University Masterfully exposes the deep inequities that underpin epidemics, across the globe and throughout history . . . As we grapple with what the next major global outbreak might be, this book couldn't be more timely. -- Layal Liverpool, author of SYSTEMIC: HOW RACISM IS MAKING US SICK

An expansive portraiture of how colonialism and confinement have influenced our understanding of illness and humanity . . . This book is tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time. -- Morgan Jerkins, author of WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS A fascinating and thought-provoking read. It combines keenly observed anthropological insights, captivating historical narratives, and biting social critique to weave a story that challenges the reader to rethink the way they view the world. -- Jonathan Kennedy, author of PATHOGENESIS: HOW GERMS MADE HISTORY A breathtaking journey through the intertwined histories of contagions and systemic inequities that have shaped our history . . . Bonhomme's thought-provoking exploration not only sheds light on past injustices but challenges us to confront our history and envision a more compassionate future. -- Uché Blackstock, author of LEGACY The history of the world is a history of human's usually futile attempts at control: at containing other humans and overpowering the more-than-human world. In this meticulously researched book, Edna Bonhomme shows us the ways that contagious illness frustrates those attempts at control, and how people too have resisted captivity and found ways to care for one another in the worst of circumstances. A powerful book that shines a light on the parts of life we'd rather ignore, and the beauty that can arise from horror. -- Sarah Jaffe, author of FROM THE ASHES Bonhomme narrates centuries of the human-microbial dance, laying out how our destinies, liberties and values are determined by how humans negotiate life on earth with our smallest living neighbours. Ambitious in her scope yet intimate in her humane storytelling, Bonhomme has written the interspecies book we need to navigate life on our interconnected planet. Brilliant, tender and illuminating. -- Steven W. Thrasher, author of THE VIRAL UNDERCLASS: THE HUMAN TOLL WHEN INEQUALITY AND DISEASE COLLIDE Pandemics thrive on inequities and widen them, providing more kindling for future plagues. This simple lesson has proven devastatingly difficult to learn. But I think that if everyone read Edna Bonhomme's incredible, humane, insightful book--and I hope they do--we might stand a chance of actually breaking the cycle of neglect and panic. -- Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I CONTAIN MULTITUDES and AN IMMENSE WORLD This book is a tour de force! . . . A History of the World in Six Plagues will change how people think about public health and histories of medicine. -- Dr. Tiffany N. Florvil, Associate Professor of History at The University of New Mexico and author of MOBILIZING BLACK GERMANY Equal parts intimate portrait of illness and piercing analysis of our socio-political predicament . . . Let this book be a guide for our pandemic past, present and probable--but by no means inescapable--future. -- George Aumoithe, Assistant Professor of History at Harvard University Masterfully exposes the deep inequities that underpin epidemics, across the globe and throughout history . . . As we grapple with what the next major global outbreak might be, this book couldn't be more timely. -- Layal Liverpool, author of SYSTEMIC: HOW RACISM IS MAKING US SICK

An expansive portraiture of how colonialism and confinement have influenced our understanding of illness and humanity . . . This book is tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time. -- Morgan Jerkins, author of WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS A fascinating and thought-provoking read. It combines keenly observed anthropological insights, captivating historical narratives, and biting social critique to weave a story that challenges the reader to rethink the way they view the world. -- Jonathan Kennedy, author of PATHOGENESIS: HOW GERMS MADE HISTORY A breathtaking journey through the intertwined histories of contagions and systemic inequities that have shaped our history . . . Bonhomme's thought-provoking exploration not only sheds light on past injustices but challenges us to confront our history and envision a more compassionate future. -- Uché Blackstock, author of LEGACY The history of the world is a history of human's usually futile attempts at control: at containing other humans and overpowering the more-than-human world. In this meticulously researched book, Edna Bonhomme shows us the ways that contagious illness frustrates those attempts at control, and how people too have resisted captivity and found ways to care for one another in the worst of circumstances. A powerful book that shines a light on the parts of life we'd rather ignore, and the beauty that can arise from horror. -- Sarah Jaffe, author of FROM THE ASHES Bonhomme narrates centuries of the human-microbial dance, laying out how our destinies, liberties and values are determined by how humans negotiate life on earth with our smallest living neighbours. Ambitious in her scope yet intimate in her humane storytelling, Bonhomme has written the interspecies book we need to navigate life on our interconnected planet. Brilliant, tender and illuminating. -- Steven W. Thrasher, author of THE VIRAL UNDERCLASS: THE HUMAN TOLL WHEN INEQUALTIY AND DISEASE COLLIDE Pandemics thrive on inequities and widen them, providing more kindling for future plagues. This simple lesson has proven devastatingly difficult to learn. But I think that if everyone read Edna Bonhomme's incredible, humane, insightful book--and I hope they do--we might stand a chance of actually breaking the cycle of neglect and panic. -- Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I CONTAIN MULTITUDES and AN IMMENSE WORLD This book is a tour de force! . . . A History of the World in Six Plagues will change how people think about public health and histories of medicine. -- Dr. Tiffany N. Florvil, Associate Professor of History at The University of New Mexico and author of MOBILIZING BLACK GERMANY Equal parts intimate portrait of illness and piercing analysis of our socio-political predicament . . . Let this book be a guide for our pandemic past, present and probable--but by no means inescapable--future. -- George Aumoithe, Assistant Professor of History at Harvard University Masterfully exposes the deep inequities that underpin epidemics, across the globe and throughout history . . . As we grapple with what the next major global outbreak might be, this book couldn't be more timely. -- Layal Liverpool, author of SYSTEMIC: HOW RACISM IS MAKING US SICK

An expansive portraiture of how colonialism and confinement have influenced our understanding of illness and humanity. Thankfully, due to the author's talent and sheer strength in combining personal narrative with history, this book is also tender as it tackles some of the most stigmatized subjects of our time. -- Morgan Jerkins, author of WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS A fascinating and thought-provoking read. It combines keenly observed anthropological insights, captivating historical narratives, and biting social critique to weave a story that challenges the reader to rethink the way they view the world. -- Jonathan Kennedy, author of PATHOGENESIS: HOW GERMS MADE HISTORY Bonhomme embarks on a breathtaking journey through the intertwined histories of contagions and systemic inequities that have shaped our history. With poignant insights and compelling personal narratives, she reveals the stories of marginalized individuals and communities often overlooked in society. Bonhomme's thought-provoking exploration not only sheds light on past injustices but challenges us to confront our history and envision a more compassionate future. -- Uché Blackstock, author of LEGACY The history of the world is a history of human's usually futile attempts at control: at containing other humans and overpowering the more-than-human world. In this meticulously researched book, Edna Bonhomme shows us the ways that contagious illness frustrates those attempts at control, and how people too have resisted captivity and found ways to care for one another in the worst of circumstances. A powerful book that shines a light on the parts of life we'd rather ignore, and the beauty that can arise from horror. -- Sarah Jaffe, author of FROM THE ASHES Microbes have shaped human history as much as human will has. In A History of the World in Six Plagues, Edna Bonhomme narrates centuries of the human-microbial dance, laying out how our destinies, liberties and values are determined by how humans negotiate life on earth with our smallest living neighbours. Ambitious in her scope yet intimate in her humane storytelling, Bonhomme has written the interspecies book we need to navigate life on our interconnected planet. Brilliant, tender and illuminating. -- Steven W. Thrasher, author of THE VIRAL UNDERCLASS: THE HUMAN TOLL WHEN INEQUALTIY AND DISEASE COLLIDE Pandemics thrive on inequities and widen them, providing more kindling for future plagues. This simple lesson has proven devastatingly difficult to learn. But I think that if everyone read Edna Bonhomme's incredible, humane, insightful book--and I hope they do--we might stand a chance of actually breaking the cycle of neglect and panic. -- Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I CONTAIN MULTITUDES and AN IMMENSE WORLD This book is a tour de force! A brilliant and beautifully written account of the contours of contagion, health, race, gender, confinement, class and space across multiple centuries and geohistories. A History of the World in Six Plagues will change how people think about public health and histories of medicine. -- Dr. Tiffany N. Florvil, Associate Professor of History at The University of New Mexico and author of MOBILIZING BLACK GERMANY Equal parts intimate portrait of illness and piercing analysis of our socio-political predicament. From empires to modern states, no civilization escapes the consequences of a plague. Let this book be a guide for our pandemic past, present and probable--but by no means inescapable--future. -- George Aumoithe, Assistant Professor of History at Harvard University A History of the World in Six Plagues masterfully exposes the deep inequities that underpin epidemics, across the globe and throughout history. Bonhomme shares her own experiences with vulnerability and grace, such that we may better understand our own. Five years on from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as we grapple with what the next major global outbreak might be, this book couldn't be more timely. -- Layal Liverpool, author of SYSTEMIC: HOW RACISM IS MAKING US SICK

Author Information

Edna Bonhomme is a critic, historian, and journalist. She is a co-editor of the book After Sex, and her essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Frieze, the Guardian, the London Review of Books, and The Nation. She earned her PhD in history from Princeton University and has a master's in public health from Columbia University. Edna has received awards and fellowships from the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, the Camargo Foundation, the Robert Silvers Foundation, and the Andy Warhol Foundation. She is a 2026 finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Nona Balakian Award. Edna lives in Berlin, Germany.

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