Epidemics in Modern Asia

The first history of epidemics in modern Asia.

Robert Peckham (Author)

9781107446762, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 April 2016

374 pages, 32 b/w illus. 4 maps
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.8 cm, 0.61 kg

'Peckham … has penned an incisive text that foregrounds the social and historical role of infectious disease across Asia. … His book centers upon the reality of historical relations in India, China, and the Russian Far East; the author's focus is trained most effectively throughout case studies. … The book is useful for individuals teaching or practicing in the fields of history, political science, and medical education as well as in education and public health. … Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.' L. H. Taylor, Jr, Choice

Epidemics have played a critical role in shaping modern Asia. Encompassing two centuries of Asian history, Robert Peckham explores the profound impact that infectious disease has had on societies across the region: from India to China and the Russian Far East. The book tracks the links between biology, history, and geopolitics, highlighting infectious disease's interdependencies with empire, modernization, revolution, nationalism, migration, and transnational patterns of trade. By examining the history of Asia through the lens of epidemics, Peckham vividly illustrates how society's material conditions are entangled with social and political processes, offering an entirely fresh perspective on Asia's transformation.

Introduction: contagious histories
1. Mobility
2. Cities
3. Environment
4. War
5. Globalization
Conclusion: epidemics and the end of history
Glossary
Select timeline
Suggested reading
Index.

Subject Areas: History of medicine [MBX], Colonialism & imperialism [HBTQ], Asian history [HBJF], General & world history [HBG]