The Black Death (Manchester Medieval Sources Series)

From 1348 to 1350 Europe was devastated by an epidemic that left between a third and one half of the population dead. This source book traces, through contemporary writings, the calamitous impact of the Black Death in Europe, with a particular emphasis on its spread across England from 1348 to 1349.

Rosemary Horrox surveys contemporary attempts to explain the plague. The almost universal belief that it was an expression of divine anger at the sins of humankind did not preclude attempts to explain in scientific and medical terms; or to look for human scapegoats. The final third of the book charts the social and psychological impact of the plague, and its effects in the late-medieval economy. The sources illustrate the fear that spread with the disease and the diverse ways that such terror influenced social behaviour.

An invaluable textbook for undergraduate and graduate students of medieval European and English history.