About the book
'A virtuoso feat ... a book of panoramic breadth' New York Times Book Review
'A devastating analysis ... Wright is a master of knitting together complex narratives' The Observer
Just as Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower became the defining account of our century's first devastating event, 9/11, so The Plague Year will become the defining account of the second.
The story starts with the initial moments of Covid's appearance in Wuhan and ends with Joseph Biden's inauguration in an America ravaged by well over 400,000 deaths - a mortality already some ten times worse than US combat deaths in the entire Vietnam War.
This is an anguished, furious memorial to a year in which all of America's great strengths - its scientific knowledge, its great civic and intellectual institutions, its spirit of voluntarism and community - were brought low, not by a terrifying new illness alone, but by political incompetence and cynicism on a scale for which there has been no precedent.
With insight, sympathy, clarity and rage, The Plague Year allows the reader to see the unfolding of this great tragedy, talking with individuals on the front line, bringing together many moving and surprising stories and painting a devastating picture of a country literally and fatally misled.
'Maddening and sobering - as comprehensive an account of the first year of the pandemic as we've yet seen' Kirkus
Editions of Plague Year
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780141998138
- EBook
- ISBN 9780141998145
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780141998541
Read an Excerpt
'A virtuoso feat ... a book of panoramic breadth' New York Times Book Review
'A devastating analysis ... Wright is a master of knitting together complex narratives' The Observer
Just as Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower became the defining account of our century's first devastating event, 9/11, so The Plague Year will become the defining account of the second.
The story starts with the initial moments of Covid's appearance in Wuhan and ends with Joseph Biden's inauguration in an America ravaged by well over 400,000 deaths - a mortality already some ten times worse than US combat deaths in the entire Vietnam War.
This is an anguished, furious memorial to a year in which all of America's great strengths - its scientific knowledge, its great civic and intellectual institutions, its spirit of voluntarism and community - were brought low, not by a terrifying new illness alone, but by political incompetence and cynicism on a scale for which there has been no precedent.
With insight, sympathy, clarity and rage, The Plague Year allows the reader to see the unfolding of this great tragedy, talking with individuals on the front line, bringing together many moving and surprising stories and painting a devastating picture of a country literally and fatally misled.
'Maddening and sobering - as comprehensive an account of the first year of the pandemic as we've yet seen' Kirkus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Plague Year about?
'A virtuoso feat ... a book of panoramic breadth' New York Times Book Review
'A devastating analysis ... Wright is a master of knitting together complex narratives' The Observer
Just as Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower became the defining account of our century's first devastating event, 9/11, so The Plague Year will become the defining account of the second.
The story starts with the initial moments of Covid's appearance in Wuhan and ends with Joseph Biden's inauguration in an America ravaged by well over 400,000 deaths - a mortality already some ten times worse than US combat deaths in the entire Vietnam War.
This is an anguished, furious memorial to a year in which all of America's great strengths - its scientific knowledge, its great civic and intellectual institutions, its spirit of voluntarism and community - were brought low, not by a terrifying new illness alone, but by political incompetence and cynicism on a scale for which there has been no precedent.
With insight, sympathy, clarity and rage, The Plague Year allows the reader to see the unfolding of this great tragedy, talking with individuals on the front line, bringing together many moving and surprising stories and painting a devastating picture of a country literally and fatally misled.
'Maddening and sobering - as comprehensive an account of the first year of the pandemic as we've yet seen' Kirkus
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Plague Year?
Society and Social Sciences > Politics and government > Political science and theory
Where can I read a sample of Plague Year?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780141998138
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Plague Year?
Lawrence Wright
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Plague Year is available as paperback(ISBN 9780141998138) and ebook(ISBN 9780141998145) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780141998541)
Where can I buy Plague Year online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Plague Year from below
Where can I buy Plague Year?