James Belich

Books1

Ideas2

    Ideas Podcast: The World the Plague Made The World the Plague Made 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... Read More
    tropical rat flea Why Europe? Y. Pestis During the Middle Ages, two formidable species pervaded West Eurasia: homo sapiens (humans) and rattus rattus (black rats). The two disliked each other, but literally lived in each other’s homes. In 1345, the Black Death reached them. Read More