Quotessence
Home / Authors / John M. Barry Books

John M. Barry Books

Author

Related Quotes

“Society cannot function if it is every man for himself. By definition, civilization cannot survive that. Those in authority must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one.”

TruthPoliticsSocietyTrustCivilizationManipulationManipulateDistortionSpinDistort
Book:The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
Create image

“The elderly, normally the group most susceptible to influenza, not only survived attacks of the disease but were attacked far less often. This resistance of the elderly was a worldwide phenomenon. The most likely explanation is that an earlier pandemic , so mild as to not attract attention, resembled the 1918 virus closely enough that it provided protection. (p. 408 paperback edition)”

AgeExperienceResistanceInfluenza
Book:The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
Create image

“Spain actually had few cases before May, but the country was neutral during the war. That meant the government did not censor the press, and unlike French, German, and British newspapers—which printed nothing negative, nothing that might hurt morale—Spanish papers were filled with reports of the disease, especially when King Alphonse XIII fell seriously ill. The disease soon became known as “Spanish influenza” or “Spanish flu,” very likely because only Spanish newspapers were publishing accounts of the spread of the disease that were picked up in other countries.”

Spanish Flu
Book:The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
Create image