THE BLACK DEATH: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn. NFINE/NFINE. Owner handwritten name to front free endpaper and no price-clip to dw/dj - absence of publisher's price. Bright,crisp,clean,glossy,design artwork; an orange rat illustration to a single,black line border to pale yellow background to an orange background to front panel of dw/dj with black+orange lettering,colour scheme+ lettering repeated to spine/backstrip,a bright,crisp, clean white background with orange+black lettering taken from the Introduction to rear panel respectively; all with negligible shelf-wear,bumping,creasing to edges and corners – no major nicks,tears or splits present.Top+fore-edges whilst bright are with minimal,light and sporadic spotting and thumbing; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound – no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners – possibly unread apart from my own collation.Publisher's bright, crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,original plain black cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked silver gilt lettering to spine/backstrip and clean plain white endpapers - owner name excepted.UK,small 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn, ix-xviipp+1-203pp [paginated] includes contents list/table,acknowlegdements,an introduction,7 chapters and Epilogue,Notes,a bibliographical essay and an Index; plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages,a dedication,an epigram page and to the rear,2pp blanks. Visually the exterior appearance is acceptable,and even internally,the book is in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation.It is only the exterior faults described that prevent a higher grading.Despite them,it is a more than acceptable copy for its brightness,cleanliness and lack of detracting faults. A fascinating work of detective history,'The Black Death' traces the causes and far-reaching consequences of this infamous outbreak of plague that spread across the continent of Europe from 1347 to 1351. Drawing on sources as diverse as monastic manuscripts and dendrochronological studies (which measure growth rings in trees),historian Robert S. Gottfried demonstrates how a bacillus transmitted by rat fleas brought on an ecological reign of terror - killing one European in three,wiping out entire villages and towns,and rocking the foundation of medieval society and civilization. Robert S. Gottfried is Professor of History and Director of Medieval Studies at Rutgers University.Among his other books is 'Epidemic Disease in Fifteenth Century England.' Please contact seller,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas customers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded, after order's receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **