#186: Using the 1918 Pandemic as a Blueprint for Today Ft. John M. Barry

Politics and Polls

In grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, many scientists and government officials are looking to the 1918 pandemic as a reference point for lessons learned. Also known as the "Spanish Flu," this epidemic was the most sweeping of the 20th century, infecting one third of the world’s population, and upending social, political, and economic norms.

John M. Barry, a New York Times best-selling author, joins this episode to discuss his book, “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.” The book was named the 2004 book by the National Academies of Science, and is garnering current attention given its relevancy to today.

Barry has been recognized in the field of science for his work and has been a source to politicians on both sides of the aisle for his insights on pandemics. He is also the author of several other books, including, “Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America,” which won the 1998 Francis Parkman Prize for the best book of U.S. history; “Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul;” and "The Ambition and the Power: The Fall of Jim Wright: A True Story of Washington."