Main description:

A truly definitive work, this magisterial study draws on the latest evidence from across Europe to show in exhaustive detail the nature of the disease, its origin, spread, mortality, and its profound 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.

Contents:

Preface
The Black Death
The Black Death: the epidemic disaster that made history
The Return of the Black Death and the Response
Transmission of Lethal Doses of Bacteria in Bubonic Plague
Medical and Clinical Features of Bubonic Plague
Basic Aspects of the Epidemiology of Bubonic Plague
Historical Presence and Role of Black Rats in the Black Death (and Later Plague Epidemics)
Seasonality of Bubonic Plague
Short History of plague before the Black Death
The Original Outbreak and early Spread of the Black Death in the Lands of the Golden Horde
Ships and Sailing Rates: The Importance of Ships in the Spread of the Black Death
The Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East and North Africa
Mediterranean Europe: The Establishment of Epicentres of Spread of the Black Death in Greece, Italy and France
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
The Iberian Peninsula: The Spanish Kingdoms, the Kingdom of Portugal, and the Kingdom of Grenada
Italy
France
Belgium
Switzerland
Britain
Ireland
Norway
Denmark
Sweden
The Netherlands
Austria
Hungary
Germany and the State of the Order of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia and the Baltic Countries)
Bohemia
Poland
Russia
Some Countries or Regions that Escaped the Black Death
Patterns of Conquest, Dynamics of Spread
The Black Death established a Plague Reservoir among Black Rats and the Realm of the Second Plague Pandemic
The Medieval Demographic System
Structures of Medieval Demography and the Demography of Historical Plague Studies
Spain
Italy
France and the County of Savoy
Belgium
Germany
England
How many people died in the Black Death?
The Inverse Correlation between Mortality rate and Population Density: Why the Black Death could kill around 60% of Europe's Population
The Black Death: a Turning Point in History?
Bibliography