'Fear and panic could destroy the city as much as plague itself. Many of the doctors fled, along with the rich and powerful; quacks preyed on the poor with their neverfail miracle drugs. Churches and conventicles and synagogues were empty. Neighbours informed against each other. People lied to each other – and to themselves.'
First published in 1722, A Journal of the Plague Year is Daniel Defoe's meticulously researched and devastating account of one man's attempt to survive the bubonic plague which struck London sixty years prior.
The year is 1665, and London is under siege: fear and paranoia haunt the city's streets, infection begins to spread like wildfire and people do all they can to avoid the horrific disease thrust upon their homes. Written in a candid, first-person narrative – thought to be inspired by Defoe's own uncle, who lived in London's East End at the time of the plague – the novel reports the grim realities of the epidemic in unflinching detail. A groundbreaking historical novel which combines insightful research with vivid storytelling, A Journal of the Plague Year offers an illuminating snapshot into one of the most devastating events in English history.
Daniel Defoe (1660 – 1731) was an English author and spy. A prolific writer, Defoe is considered one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, renowned for his adventure tale, Robinson Crusoe. He was also politically minded, penning several satirical poems and pamphlets, and acting as a consultant for contemporary political leaders.
