The title is grossly misleading and it is my fault that I did not read the summary more closely. For that reason I was very disappointed as I was hoping to learn about the great plagues/pandemics which had menaced the world. What I got was an insightful. well delivered course on the appearance of the plague in western literature, most of which I already knew. If western literature is your thing and you want to know more about the effect of the plague on it then this is a good lecture series for you. If you are looking to learn anything about the plagues which struck China and Mongolia before heading west you will be sorely disappointed.

I am involved in bio-medical research and thought this book would talk about these 'plagues" as medical events of import. Instead it was like being in church and listening to the old testament. This is one of the worse books I've purchased, nothing at all redeeming. Wish I could get my money back. Don't rent or it will 'plague' you for life.

This book is neither timely or fascinating as the description says. The author examines literature and more recently media through the ages with a very thin thread of disease, primarily the plague, running through all of it. I would advise the listener to stop early in this book. It absolutely is not any better in the last chapter then it was in the first.

The narration has a bit of an echo, but informative and interesting.

very good and interesting lecture and great narrator

Timely and fascinating look at plagues in history and lit. The professor covers the roles of plagues and disease in Home, Chaucer, and Shakespeare. The last couple of topics cover modern plagues in modern pop culture, with some commentary on Covid. The professor is extremely knowledge and likable. Highly recommend this one.