In the Wake of the Plague
By Norman F. Cantor
The Black Death and the World It Made
Free Press - April 2001
ISBN: 0684857359 - Hardcover

Reviewed by Nancy Marie, MyShelf.com
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People seem to be fascinated by Medieval Europe, by their strange customs and beliefs, by their outlandish clothes, by the majestic castles they called home, by knights in shining armor, and the kings that commanded them. But nothing seems to satisfy their curiosity more than a good horror story, and nothing in the course of human events, outside of the Holocaust, has been more horrific than the Black Death that swept Europe in the mid-fourteenth century and killed approximately 20 million people in three short years.

Cantor begins his documentary with a discourse on the probable causes of the Plague. And, scientist agree that they are not what we've been lead to believe. From there, he creates an almost fairy-tale world of princesses, princes, kings, and sailing ships. He recounts the individual stories of royalty and commoner alike, and how their deaths forever changed the course of European history. Using extracts from Medieval texts, Cantor, weaves a tale that is simultaneously fascinating, horrifying, and sorrowful.

These true accounts, make the reader wonder, as was probably the author's intent, what would have happened if Princess Joan had not died of the plague, and had married her Spanish Prince? Would the great Spanish Armada never have invaded England? Would Europe, and possibly even our whole world be a different place today, if the plague had not occurred? There are no answers to these questions, but Cantor's book does make one think along those lines.

Cantor laid aside standard academic prose when he wrote, IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE: The Black Death and the World It Made. It is composed in everyday vernacular, making it easy to read and understand. His unique mixture of fact with personal opinion, such as this one found on pages 44-45, "Good taste was not a quality of the English monarchy then or now," make the book entertaining as well.

However, a serious student, might find these comments disconcerting. I know I did, and found myself wondering what the author's exact intent was, i.e. was he trying to entertain the reader or inform the reader, or both?

Like the questions the author raises about the world the plague made, I found no answer for these questions either.

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Nancy Marie is the author of When You Wish Upon A Star.

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