Black Death at the Golden Gate
The Race to Save America from the Bubonic Plague
by David K. Randall
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Pub Date May 07 2019 | Archive Date Apr 30 2019
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Description
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A spine-chilling saga of virulent racism, human folly, and the ultimate triumph of scientific progress.
For Chinese immigrant Wong Chut King, surviving in San Francisco meant a life in the shadows. His passing on March 6, 1900, would have been unremarkable if a city health officer hadn’t noticed a swollen black lymph node on his groin—a sign of bubonic plague. Empowered by racist pseudoscience, officials rushed to quarantine Chinatown while doctors examined Wong’s tissue for telltale bacteria. If the devastating disease was not contained, San Francisco would become the American epicenter of an outbreak that had already claimed ten million lives worldwide.
To local press, railroad barons, and elected officials, such a possibility was inconceivable—or inconvenient. As they mounted a cover-up to obscure the threat, ending the career of one of the most brilliant scientists in the nation in the process, it fell to federal health officer Rupert Blue to save a city that refused to be rescued. Spearheading a relentless crusade for sanitation, Blue and his men patrolled the squalid streets of fast-growing San Francisco, examined gory black buboes, and dissected diseased rats that put the fate of the entire country at risk.
In the tradition of Erik Larson and Steven Johnson, Randall spins a spellbinding account of Blue’s race to understand the disease and contain its spread—the only hope of saving San Francisco, and the nation, from a gruesome fate.
Advance Praise
“David K. Randall has created a meticulously researched history that unfolds like a thriller. I raced through this book in two days (horribly, the span of time it took bubonic plague to fell a victim). The unlikely heroes—bacteriologists and public health officers with long, flowing beards—battle villains most vile: racism, rotten politics, disregard for science, and Yersinia pestis. Black Death at the Golden Gate is both a page-turner and a cautionary tale: those villains still lurk.” - Mary Roach, New York Times best-selling author of Grunt
“A haunting detective tale packed with villains and heroes, Black Death at the Golden Gate shows how bigotry and greed almost brought a major U.S. city to ruin—and how science and courage saved it. The events in this book may be a hundred years old, but its message is as urgent as ever.” - Jason Fagone, author of the national bestseller The Woman Who Smashed Codes
“David K. Randall is a spellbinding writer. He has turned a critical chapter of medical history into a riveting tale that reads like a detective novel, chock-full of scandals and intrigue…Read Black Death at the Golden Gate because it’s a page-turner, but more important, read this book because the issues Randall spotlights resonate today.” - Randi Epstein, author of Aroused
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780393609455 |
| PRICE | $26.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 304 |
Featured Reviews
Kerry B, Librarian
I was drawn to this book like an infected flea to a warm rat. I had no idea that there had been a bubonic plague outbreak in San Francisco and this account really met my expectations. The account has a readable style, features well drawn characters (aka real people), reads like fiction and demonstrates thorough research. I was left wanting to investigate my own hometown for outbreaks (thankfully clean since 1665).
The story arc followed the zombie novel pattern of setting the scene, unleashing the plague, racism and ineptitude leading to more plague and a handsome doctor arriving to sort everything out, finishing with success tempered by the potential of future outbreaks. I was thoroughly invested in the outcome and cheered the transformation of San Francisco from grubby frontier town to beacon of urban sanitation. The achievement of the author is in putting a human face to the people who made it all possible.
My favourite part of the whole book is a celebration dinner given for Dr Blue and his team, complete with garbage pail shaped glasses!
This book perfect for anyone who enjoys hidden histories and contagious diseases. Perfect for fans of This Podcast Will Kill You (who have covered bubonic plague if you need more of the science behind it).. I will definitely seek out other books by the same author.
I'm now going to wash my hands and remember to never feed squirrels.
Jessica L, Reviewer
**I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
At the turn of the twentieth century, San Francisco faced a crisis – the bubonic plague caused the death of citizens in Chinatown. What began as an identity of the disease led to cover-ups; rampant racism; political alliances; egocentric officials who cared more about their career than the masses; and finally, the emergence of one man who helped a city on the verge of an epidemic become plague-free. In this quick read, Randall lays down the facts, discusses the obstacles faced in bringing the disease to light, including massive cover-ups by the governor and by the press – and how practices in San Francisco influenced later outbreaks. It’s spellbinding and a story not told in US history texts. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 also laid bare further struggles with the disease.
I could not stop reading this. Randall’s writing style keeps readers hooked from the first outbreak to the last. Randall delves into the history of San Francisco and its founding, outlining reasons behind some of the decisions made during the potential epidemic. The plight of the Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants in San Francisco during this time are also discussed, bringing to light another aspect to the potential epidemic and the erroneous thoughts about its spread. I enjoyed learning more about Rupert Blue, whose dogged determination to eradicate the disease left him an oftentimes unsung hero to the crusade.
This is a story that needs told, another chapter of American history neglected. Randall does an amazing job bringing this to light. Highly recommended.
