I’ve been reading about the 1918 pandemic in two books. It’s interesting stuff.
1. Very Very Very Dreadful – The Flu Epidemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin. This one came out in January 2018 and is aimed at young readers (12-17) although I didn’t know that or realize it while I was reading. It’s an excellent history of the flu and the first world war and how they combined to make the perfect influenza storm. 208 pages.
2. The Great Influenza: the Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry. Published in October 2005, this one is long and detailed. It starts with a history of medical education in the US (In the late 1800s a person did not have to graduate from high school to enter medical school.) Then follows a short bit about pandemics in history, most of which were contained by isolation that was either enforced or because people in an area all died or just didn’t get around much. It has a very good explanation of what viruses are and how flu viruses and corona viruses infect us(Sars was recent when this was published.) The book finally gets to the 1918 pandemic and its causes and effects in individual places throughout the world. It goes deeply into politics and personalities and is a little confusing to me because it jumps around in time some to stay talking about one place that was “hit,” plus names many people who were influential. Lots of information in 546 pages.
I borrowed both of these as ebooks from the San Francisco Public Library. You might be able to sign up for a SFPL card on the phone – they offer them to anyone in California.