Return of the Black Death: The World's Greatest Serial Killer [Hardcover]

“… a piece of astonishing medical detective work…” (Observer, 16 May 2004)

“… a good account of the history of the three great plagues.” (Nature, 8^th July 2004)

“… a compelling read…” (NewScientist.com, July 2004)

“Using documents of unimaginably diverse provenance, Susan Scott and Christopher Duncan assume the role of ‘plague detectives’.” (The Lancet, July 2004)

“…a compelling read…” (New Scientist, July 04)

“…humour, accessible style and gripping disgust–factor…well written…a rare achivement…” (Lancet, July 04)

“… a piece of astonishing medical detective work…” (Observer, 16 May 2004)

“With gruesome details of the disease and its consequences, this is not for the squeamish.” (Good Book Guide, June 2004)

“…a valuable reference…” (Western Daily Press, 19^th June 04)

“… a good account of the history of the three great plagues.” (Nature, 8^th July 2004)

“… a compelling read…” (NewScientist.com, July 2004)

“Using documents of unimaginably diverse provenance, Susan Scott and Christopher Duncan assume the role of ‘plague detectives’.” (The Lancet, July 2004)

“…a compelling read…” (New Scientist, July 04)

“…humour, accessible style and gripping disgust–factor…well written…a rare achivement…” (Lancet, July 04)

"...a valuable reference..."

"...a good account of the history of the three great plagues."

"... a compelling read..."

"...Using documents of unimaginably diverse provenance, Susan Scott and Christopher Duncan assume the role of 'plague detectives'..."

If the twenty–first century seems an unlikely stage for the return of a 14th–century killer, the authors of Return of the Black Death argue that the plague, which vanquished half of Europe, has only lain dormant, waiting to emerge again—perhaps, in another form. At the heart of their chilling scenario is their contention that the plague was spread by direct human contact (not from rat fleas) and was, in fact, a virus perhaps similar to AIDS and Ebola. Noting the periodic occurrence of plagues throughout history, the authors predict its inevitable re–emergence sometime in the future, transformed by mass mobility and bioterrorism into an even more devastating killer.

The Black Death appeared out of the blue in Sicily in 1347 and moved swiftly on to kill half of Europe in three years. Once the plague had established a stronghold in France it continued to terrorize the continent for another three centuries. London′s Great Plague of 1665–66, which claimed 6000 lives a week at its height, was its last great strike. A few years later it disappeared as suddenly and mysteriously as it had appeared. Susan Scott and Christopher Duncan uncover the tragic and moving human stories behind the records: unsung heroes, bereaved parents, parted lovers and those who exploited the suffering of others for their own greed. They also trace the origins of this lethal disease, through possible earlier outbreaks in classical times back to its animal hosts in Africa. Here it remains but there is no reason to believe it has gone for good.

The Black Death was the most terrible and notorious serial killer of all time. Using original parish records, wills and diaries, Sue Scott and Christopher Duncan reveal the causes of the terrible plague and the human stories behind the statistics. In their skilled hands the records yield some surprising and disturbing truths. Using this evidence, Scott and Duncan prove conclusively that these plagues were not Bubonic Plague, as had been believed throughout the twentieth century, and were not spread by rats. They were the result of a lethal and highly infectious virus transmitted directly from person to person. The disease currently remains in hiding, but the Black Death, or something like it, could re–emerge at any time and, with today′s highly mobile community, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Professor Christopher Duncan is Emeritus Professor of Zoology at Liverpool University. He has written over 200 published papers and seven books.

Susan Scott is a Social Historian specializing in demography. She has written 30 published papers and three books.
Susan Scott and Christopher Duncan have spent years analysing the series of plagues that ravaged Europe throughout the Middle Ages.