The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
By: John M. Barry

This (very long) book does into detail about the tragedies of the 1918-1919 influenza outbreak (often known as the Spanish Flu).

The book was an interesting account of a pandemic that killed more people in 20 weeks than AIDS has killed in 20 years. It was truly devastating. And to set up the book, Barry talked about how medicine and medical practices were transformed in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. (amazingly … Until well after the Civil War, it was easier to get into medical school than to get into most colleges.)