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New Light on the Black Death: The Cosmic Connection

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New Light on the Black Death: The Cosmic Connection (Paperback)

by Mike Baillie (Author)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: The History Press LTD; 1 edition (15 Sep 2006)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0752435981
ISBN-13: 978-0752435985
Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.6 x 1.6 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 355,951 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#27 in Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Black Death

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Synopsis

Over the years doubts have been expressed about the accepted view that the Black Death was caused by bubonic plague. By looking at the evidence of tree-rings and ice cores, Mike Baillie, Professor of Dendrochronology at Queen's University, Belfast, has identified a series of natural catastrophes at the beginning of the fourteenth century, caused by meteor strikes. On the basis of the current scientific evidence and of contemporary accounts of the nature and spread of the disease, he is convinced that the disease was air-borne not carried by rats. This fascinating book reveals the detective that led to this revolutionary conclusion.

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews

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4 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book with Shocking New Evidence on the Black Death, 3 Feb 2008

By	Zadius Sky - See all my reviews

The Black Death was the infamous disaster event that I have studied in college a few years ago. During my studies, I have focused so much on the primary documents as well on the secondary sources on how such disaster came to be, seeing that it killed off two-third of the population and the after-effects. But, never once have I thought of the shocking connection between the comet impact and the event of Black Death of 1347 as I have just read this book by Mike Baillie, which profoundly changed my perspective.

I have been read quite few books and articles on the Black Death and came to learn, as "accepted" by scientific community, that the Black Death was spread by black rats (rattus rattus) from Asia area to Europe. But, Baillie questioned that notion and asked what if that Black Death was never a bubonic plague as everyone believed it was.

In "New Light on the Black Death," Baillie provided intriguing evidence, such as tree-rings, ice cores, as well the contemporary accounts to bring home the new perspective: that Black Death was likely caused by a comet impact. Not only he provided an evidence for the plague of 1348/9, but he also brings to attention of the previous events, such as the Justinian plague of AD 542 and the plague of Athens in AD 430.

Once again, this book certainly changed my perspective of the Black Death, questioned everything I have ever studied on the subject. Not only does this book question my knowledge on the subject, but it certainly made me ponder on the future cosmic disasters: "Will there be the next Black Death?"

Baillie's book is filled with fascinating and shocking scientific data. It consisted only 19 chapters, with roughly 205 pages as it's not very long book, but it certainly enthralled me to read it with a careful attention. And, this book is a truly recommended.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, 4 April 2008

By	Phung Minh Hoang (Singapore) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a scientific book that reads like a detective novel. For the first time, Baillie takes a cross-disciplinary approach to study what happened during the Black Death in Europe in the 14th century. A large amount of evidence is gathered from diverse fields of studies such as tree ring, ice core to mythology to present a convincing case that what caused the Black Death was not at all what the consensus has taken it to be. Rather than the bubonic plague, Baillie shows that the event that killed up to half Europe's population was caused by toxic substances released by cometary impacts from space.

"Why should I care about what caused the Black Death?," you may ask. It is because what happened in the past may well happen in our future. Baillie shows in the book that the Black Death is not just an isolated event but part of a series of cataclysms caused by comets. And he is but one of the warning voices about this danger facing humanity. According to new research, notably by Victor Clube in The Cosmic Winter, the probability of cometary impact in a century period is very high. An example of it being the Tunguska impact at the early 20th century. Imagine what the effect would have been if that comet had landed on a city instead of a remote place.

So I would highly recommend this book to everyone to learn more about this subject. Acquiring knowledge is the first step in dealing with any threat, especially one with global implication like this. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Though you knew about the Black Death?, 7 April 2008

By	Lynne Grey (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

t is interesting to note that historians would rather rearrange facts to make them fit their theories, and nothing points it out like what happened in explaining the Black Death. Rather than take what was being said by those who experienced at face value, those who were studying this seemed to think that these people just simply couldn't have known what they were talking about.

Now, Baillie has shown with tree ring and ice core samples just how wrong the historians got it. And this is not a dry read. It is put in fairly plain language for all to understand.

One might ask just why the historians would not even look at the fact that comets may have been to blame for the plague, when everyone who wrote about it mentioned the fire from the skies, rain of fire, fiery snow, bad air.....the list is endless.

These are things that we should learn about so that in the event that it should happen again, we won't be unprepared and will know what is actually happening.

It is a very interesting read.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
An interesting thesis: that the early stages of the Black Death in Europe were caused by a sizeable fragment of a comet landing in the Mediterranean and releasing a cloud of toxic... Read more

Published 22 months ago by DB

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