The Plague (History Channel)

Originally aired on the History Channel this documentary explores the terrible Black Death that ravaged Europe especially

Great resource

History is not always pretty. When great and sustained misery is visited upon people, they too often show the worst side of their nature. In this case the misery was the black plague that killed millions in Europe over a period of about five years.It was blamed, by some, on the convenient Jews, and they were villified and slain for a disease that killed them in the same proportion as non-Jews. The plague brought about the flagellants, who, in their religious fervor, went around publicly flogging themselves to expiate the sins of mankind and for the entertainment of others. Much of the misery of the plague was actually increased by the falsely pious Christians who thought the plague was a punishment from an angry God. This dvd presentation shows this but treads lightly, too lightly, perhaps.This dvd is, all in all, a remarkable presentation. Settling to the soul, it is not. And the question it provokes is: could it happen again? It did, with the flu pandemic of 1918, and it may recur, worse next time, because of the fact that airplanes carry travelers thousands of miles in just hours.

I enjoyed the presentation, but showing the same scenes over and over and over and.... got old. That had to work hard to fill the whole time slot! Still, worth watching!

This was a replacement for a recording I had lost. In 2020-2021 this topic is a relevant as the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1920. In too many respects Humanity is as unprepared now as it was in the last Century and the 14th. And we are seeing some of the same baneful side effects. This DVD should be watched as a warning that the next disaster is closer than we think.

This is THE BEST version documentary on the Plague or The Black death of the 1347-1350s of Medieval history. The reenacting is excellent ,as well as the interviews .A well rounded well done documentary on this tragic time period and all the people who died from the plague.The documetary moves at a good pace and holds your interest on the Plague topic , it is so good that you can watch it over and over and it still is as good to watch as the first time.Highly Recommended.

This documentary was a major disappointment. There are massive gaps in telling the story of this dreadful era. You get a really good idea of how the plague spread, and the sheer level of panic amongst people. They actually do a brilliant job of this. The use of contemporary sources is very well done.This documentary had great potential but it falls flat. It falls flat for two reasons -Firstly, like too many things class is almost totally ignored. The world of academia has an intense phobia of discussing class. In the wake of the plague there were massive peasant revolts. Wat Tyler's revolt isn't even mentioned. The plague affected poorer people much more than nobles. There is a very small mention of this but I do emphasise small.The most ridiculous thing I found about this documentary was the absence of the mention of cats. Cats suffered wholesale persecution during this period. The best anti-rodent control of the ancient world were cats. The rats were able to spread the disease unchecked. Instead we get a bizzare tangent about cats and the pnuemonic plague. It is a tangent because it talks about cats in southern parts of the US.I think the producers of this show have a medieval mentality in regards to the role of cats in society.If you are interested in this era it is still worth a look.

I teach 6th grade science. Science and social studies were doing a cross curricular activity on the renaissance. Science was covering the black plague and force/motion with trebuchets and catapults. This video was great for everything I needed. It showed up close images of trebuchets and catapults as well as detailed science of the plague itself. Great video for many age groups.

It provided historical evidence of how biological disease spread throughout the world and brought humanity to the brink of demise, and society found a way to survive for another day.The movie illustrates that future diseases will become pandemic and spread worldwide at a faster rate due to means of transportation.It is a great movie to watch; it will help you to learn about the world.

wow..really informative..it was a great Watch....alot of money and creative thought went into this little gem...shows how it started and where it spread...many countries were involved..and shows how superstition delayed the end of this awful calamity....enjoy....not suitable for anyone under age ofv146999\+j000