A Journal Of The Plague Year by Daniel Defoe

[msfry]

Hi guys,

I heard this book recommendation on a podcast last week and looked it up on LV. Sure enough, it was recorded in 2007 by Denny Sayers (d. 2015), who does a great job. It's about the Great (bubonic) Plague that struck the city of London in 1665. While it is called historical fiction, it is supposedly based on the journals of Defoe's uncle and considered quite accurate. It is VERY INTERESTING and sounds familiar. No masks, no science, but lots of social distancing, wrecked economies, and officials trying desperately to figure out how to bury the dead, control the terror, bring in supplies, keep people safe, handle looting, and manage everything. Also, how individuals learned to take care of themselves. The most essential service was bread bakers, who were ordered to keep their ovens burning 24/7, and street sweepers to pick up dead bodies every night and dump them in deep trenches. All plays, feasting, taverns and coffee houses, and sports prohibited. And so on. Fascinating.

https://librivox.org/a-journal-of-the-plague-year-by-daniel-defoe/