A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume 1 (of 2) From A.D. 664 to the Extinction of Plague

This volume offers a measured, source‑driven survey of Britain’s epidemic landscape from the first recorded pestilence in 664 AD through the disappearance of plague in the mid‑1660s. Drawing on monastic chronicles, medieval court rolls, and later state papers, the author weaves together statistical snippets—burial registers, parish counts—and contemporary physician observations to sketch the spread of illnesses such as the early Black Death, the mysterious sweating sickness, and recurring bouts of plague. The narrative stays rooted in the documentary record, giving listeners a clear sense of how scholars piece together a public‑health picture from scattered medieval and early‑modern evidence.

While the book remains firmly anchored in the first millennium and half of the seventeenth century, it also hints at the shift toward a more scientific, medical understanding of disease that emerges toward the end of the period. By tracing the evolution of reporting methods and the growing role of physicians like Willis and Sydenham, the work illuminates how British society’s response to contagion began to change, laying groundwork for the quieter era that follows.