The World the Plague Made - by James Belich

Book Synopsis

A groundbreaking history of how the Black Death unleashed revolutionary change across the medieval world and ushered in the modern age

In 1346, a catastrophic plague beset Europe and its neighbours. The Black Death was a human tragedy that abruptly halved entire populations and caused untold suffering, but it also brought about a cultural and economic renewal on a scale never before witnessed. The World the Plague Made is a panoramic history of how the bubonic plague revolutionized labour, trade, and technology and set the stage for Europe's global expansion.

James Belich takes readers across centuries and continents to shed new light on one of history's greatest paradoxes. Why did Europe's dramatic rise begin in the wake of the Black Death? Belich shows how plague doubled the per capita endowment of everything even as it decimated the population. Many more people had disposable incomes. Demand grew for silks, sugar, spices, furs, gold, and slaves. Europe expanded to satisfy that demand--and plague provided the means. Labour scarcity drove more use of waterpower, wind power, and gunpowder. Technologies like water-powered blast furnaces, heavily gunned galleons, and musketry were fast-tracked by plague. A new "crew culture" of "disposable males" emerged to man the guns and galleons.

Setting the rise of Western Europe in global context, Belich demonstrates how the mighty empires of the Middle East and Russia also flourished after the plague, and how European expansion was deeply entangled with the Chinese and other peoples throughout the world.

Review Quotes

"An accessible, compelling, convincing, and brilliant work of scholarship."---Mark Bailey, Journal of Modern History

"

The World the Plague Made: The Black Death and the Rise of Europe sweeps across five centuries with extraordinary breadth and depth to answer one of history's biggest questions: what caused Europe's rise to global hegemony and its 'great divergence' from the rest of Eurasia in terms of
economic development by the 19th century? . . . Belich makes a persuasive case for the mutually
beneficial relationship between the big picture generalist and the thematic, regional, or chronological specialist.

"---Graeme Thompson, Dorchester Review

"Belich covers the immediate, devastating impact of [the Black Death] and its medium- and long-term effects on the economic and social order. He displays careful regard for the different experiences of countries and regions in Europe and beyond. . . . The World the Plague Made may be the best or most comprehensive work on the Black Death and its aftermath to date."---Jeffrey Mazo, Survival

"Meticulously researched."---Ann G. Carmichael, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"An Australian Most Anticipated Book"

"James Belich is one of our absolutely necessary historians; his lens is wide as the world itself."---Geordie Williamson, The Australian

"The World the Plague Made convincingly demonstrates that the Black Death influenced many aspects of human life. In short, it is global history."---Okori Uneke, International Social Science Review

"The World the Plague Made is worth reading simply as a narrative of these extraordinary events by a historian who combines command of detail with a grandiose vision of factors driving human expansion. Belich is sweeping in his range, provocative in his assertions and ambitious in his conceptions. His writing is full of colourful metaphors, unexpected turns of phrase and elegant put-downs of the many scholars who lack the imagination to share his insights."---Jonathan Sumption, Literary Review

"[A] bold, tremendously researched work."---Jordan Michael Smith, Undark

"[A] sweeping revisionist history. . . . Rich in erudition and startling new insights, this fresh look at the impact of the Black Death upon world history is a must for history lovers and plague aficionados alike."-- "Library Journal"

"A fantastic display of scholarship."---Talha Burki, The Lancet

"A provocative and impressive history of an earth-shattering event."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"A FiveBooks Best Economic History Book of the Year"

"A Prospect Best History Book of the Year"

"A Spectator Book of the Year"

"Belich draws on a vast array of bang-up-to-date material with the latest historical research, from plague pathogens to the role of war in centralising the early modern and modern state. The ride is a provocative and often exhilarating one. . . . Belich asks profound questions and does so with considerable elan."---Peter Frankopan, Prospect

"Deeply-researched and erudite."---Sheldon Kirshner, The Times of Israel

"Finalist for the PROSE Award in European History, Association of American Publishers"

"Packed with extensive and detailed information. . . .The World the Plague Made is a monumental book that will be required reading for anyone interested in the transition to modernity and it offers much food for thought about the methodology of 'global history' and history over a longue durée."---Justine Firnhaber-Baker, History Today

"Shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize"

"Sweeping, ambitious."---Peter Frankopan, The Spectator

"Terribly interesting and educational. . . . [A] fascinating book. It obviously comes recommended to students of the history of infectious disease, but also to readers receptive to the idea that history can be decisively shaped by curveballs thrown by nature."---Leon Vlieger, Inquisitive Biologist

"There is much to learn from this carefully considered book."---Peter Sarris, The Critic

About the Author

James Belich is the Beit Professor of Global and Imperial History at the University of Oxford and cofounder of the Oxford Centre for Global History. His books include Replenishing the Earth: The Settler Revolution and the Rise of the Anglo-World, 1783-1939.