"The Black Death: A Global History" by Thomas Asbridge; something that might be considered a little light reading for the week-end which I collected from the library yesterday, having had it on reserve for a number of months ever since I read a very positive review in the Financial Times.
Actually, while it is not the era I specialised in as an academic (that is modern European history), I did teach (journeyman teaching, for these courses featured on the first year syllabus) courses on medieval European history, as well as courses on Renaissance, Reformation and Counter-Reformation history for a number of years.
Anyway, this beautifully produced book was published in 2026, and I am already more than 140 pages in......
In fact, it is a beautifully produced book - an illustrated hard-back, published as recently as 2026 (thus, availing of the most recent scholarship across a wide range of sources).
I collected it yesterday from the library, having reserved it for a number of months, ever since I read a very positive review in the Financial Times a few months ago.
Anyway, it is excellent, extraordinarily interesting, well-written and meticulously researched.