“A pleasingly written lay person’s primer to disease epidemiology, as well as a gentle introduction to the social and cultural history of medicine.” —The Biologist

Includes extensive illustrations

Behind every disease is a story, a narrative woven of multiple threads—from the natural history of the disease to the tale of its discovery and its place in world events. The Atlas of Disease is the first book to tell these stories in a new and innovative way, interweaving new maps with contemporary illustrations to chart some of the world’s deadliest pandemics and epidemics.

Sandra Hempel reveals how maps have uncovered insightful information about the history of disease, from the seventeenth-century plague maps that revealed the radical idea that diseases might be carried and spread by humans, to cholera maps in the 1800s showing the disease was carried by water, right up to the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s, and the more recent devastating Ebola outbreak.

Crucially, The Atlas of Disease also explores how cartographic techniques have been used to combat epidemics by revealing previously hidden patterns. These are the stories of discoveries that have changed the course of history, affected human evolution, stimulated advances in medicine, and saved countless lives.

“Ample and well-chosen pictures . . . In fact, it is the sort of book that one can leaf through, looking only at illustrations and maps, and so is suitable for the informed and curious lay reader . . . Healthcare professionals and historians should also find it of interest.” —British Society for the History of Medicine

Acclaim for Sandra Hempel’s previous works of medical history

“A real-life scientific thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Riveting.” —Daily Telegraph

“Fascinating . . . [A] masterful combination of telling details, engrossing prose, and drama.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)