Highly recommend to those with an interest in the history of the U.S. medical system and specifically the influence of WW I and the great epidemic. The story is the effect of the epidemic on American society, not the epidemic itself. Those who are preparing for the next influenza epidemic would be well served to listen. Biographies of the key players are woven into and around all the events. Long book, not for the faint of heart, abridgement might be useful for those who do not need explanation of medical terms.

Scott Brick’s narration is unique. For this book I thought it well suited.

Wonderfully narrated by Scott Brick, this is more a history of American medicine at the turn of the century and how public health and the military both succeeded and failed to recognize, confront, and solve a major health crisis. It is politically intriguing, and provides a more complete picture of how the flu was able to take so many lives, as well as how Pres. Wilson used WWI to censor media and round up radicals. For those interested in the history of WWI, this is a book that presents an indispensible part of the picture.

I had always wanted to know about the Influenza epidemic, and I was stunned by the details when I heard them. Although the book itself does become weighted by both biology and biography, it quickly becomes a staggering tale that seems inexcusibly forgotten by my (the younger) generation. It has added a few names to my personal pantheon of historical heroes. I remember this book every time I sneeze.

This book was not what I expected, but it truly surpassed my expectations as I listened. The significance of the historical setting in which this flu epidemic occurred became more and more clear as the book progressed. This was an excellent presentation of both the historical setting, the state of medical practice and clinical research, and the events of this epidemic. My grandfather was a young physician at the time of this epidemic, and this put many of the stories I had heard into the proper perspective. Scott Brick is an excellent narrator, crisp and clear; a true complement to the story. I highly recommend this book.

I'm a physician and I have always been interested in reading about the 1918 influenza pandemic. As one of the other reviewers stated, only a portion of this book is actually about the outbreak. This author should have spent more time focusing on the pandemic and less time reviewing the entire history of medicine. Also, it annoyed me how the author attempted to sensationalize this subject by his endless use of graphic similies. So this book gets 3/5 stars because it is just "average."

This is a genuinely verbose book. Before it was published an editor with a pocket full of blue pencils should have "X'ed" out mounds of superfluous writing. As it is, the reader/listener will (presumably) not be interested in the private lives of researchers of the day, nor those of their assistants, nor detailed biographies of big city medical examiners, nor who the era's most famous doctors were and how their life experiences pointed them towards research in this thing or that, nor the struggle to change the direction of American research hospitals at the end of the nineteenth century. Yet, it's all there are: acres and acres of off- focus trivia. Further distracting is the author's philosophizing over subjects like what scientific research requires in the character of a person. When Barry stays on his subject it's obvious that he knows his stuff. His descriptions of the actions of influenza virus in the body are wonderful. Were his book edited to a third the size it would be worth the time.

I mean everything. The author is extremely detailed. You will find that the level of understanding was greater at that time than you might have known. You will also learn much about influenza than you ever knew!

This book is great. At first i was getting bored with the medical history lesson and wasnt quite sure how it all related to the title, but it all came together. Its amazing all of the things that came together to create the perfect storm for this plague to cause so much death ad destruction. The scope of the deaths was far more then i first imagined.

This book was very informative, if not unsetteling. I recommend this to everyone.

Scott brick does an awsome job with the narration.

I have come back to listen to this three times. Each time I feel almost overwhelmed by the information put before me. Like almost everyone, I had heard about the Spanish Flu Epidemic. I had never realized the full extent of the damage it did ... and of the changes it brought about in modern medicine.
Thank goodness, it did!

and how we grew in our contry's medical knowledge. The flu epidemic was so consuming and so horrible that I find the loss of life described almost unreal. I cannot believe how much this country, and especially our armed forces suffered and died. And then to hear how horrible this flu murdered world wide. I just cannot believe how much and how many people died and much we depend on our medical experts.