Diseases That Changed the Course of History
After weeks of Ebola dominating the headlines, we thought it appropriate to look at some of history's most civilization-altering diseases. John spins a yarn about how wild fornication in the streets of Naples just might have foiled a French king's plans to launch a crusade to the Holy Land in 1495. Tim tells the nightmarish tale of when the "Grandaddy of all Diseases" arrived in Europe, and explains the medicinal value of chickens. Finally, Ed recounts how Napoleon's 500,000 troops couldn't manage to conquer Russia (hint: it wasn't just the cold!), and gives a new meaning to "bad hair day."
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Stuff to Read
In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It MadeBy Norman F. Cantor