The World the Plague Made: The Black Death and the Rise of Europe

The World the Plague Made: The Black Death and the Rise of Europe by James Belich

Europe went through the black death in the middle ages, severely reducing its population. Then it popped back bigger than ever and launched empires that controlled most of the world. This book starts by looking at the plague. There are evolving explanations for how it occurred and spread. Bubonic plague has gone in and out of favor. There does seem to a connection with rat populations. The black death did strike areas at different times and different mortality. It appears it also struck other parts of the world, such as Asia.

However, the plague itself is only the first part of this book. How did the activities of the various populations react to it? How did it change their behaviors and history? What was the next phase in history after the plague. Europe was even more fragmented than it is now. Economic activity and the associated trading were starting to boom. Some places, like Geneo were heavily involved in financial and mercenary activity. Europe was eager to spread its wings throughout the world. How much did the plague contribute to all these activities? The book paints a very broad picture that is perhaps a little too expansive.