Coronavirus/Covid-19 Books
Last updated: May 05, 2025
Below you’ll find all the book interviews our editors have carried out (so far) with experts in the midst of the coronavirus/Covid-19 crisis. On the medical front, Dorothy Crawford, Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Edinburgh and author of a number of books recommends the best books on viruses, while John Rhodes, immunologist and author of How to Make a Vaccine, takes us into the world of the immune system.
The lessons of history, and historical pandemics—like the so-called Spanish flu of 1918—are key. Also vital psychologically is the literature about similar periods of quarantine, like the Decameron, set at the height of a plague pandemic—the Black Death—in 14th century Italy.
For a broader perspective, we’ve also listed our older interview about terrifying diseases, some of which have been brought under control. The extraordinary Arthur Ammann, the pediatric immunologist who first observed that HIV could be transmitted from mother to baby, talked us through the best books on the HIV/AIDS plague, and the insights he found in Albert Camus's The Plague. We also have an interview about vaccines, including gripping books about the fight against polio, rabies, cholera and more.
In terms of the economic impact of coronavirus/Covid-19, our contributing editor Benedict King, formerly an economist at the Bank of England, has put together a list of books to better understand the interaction between financial and economic crises and government economic management.
The best books on Viruses, recommended by Dorothy H. Crawford
Many of us have developed a new fascination for viruses and virology during the global COVID-19 crisis. Here, Dorothy Crawford, professor of medical microbiology and the author of Viruses: A Very Short Introduction, selects five of the best books on viruses for the general reader.
Books on Living Through an Epidemic, recommended by Alex Chase-Levenson
The Covid-19 crisis is often described as an ‘unprecedented’ event, but in the past outbreaks of virulent disease were much more a part of our lives. Historian Alex Chase-Levenson, author of The Yellow Flag, recommends five books that focus on the experiences of those living through an epidemic.
The best books on Immunology, recommended by John Rhodes
John Rhodes, immunologist and author of The End of Plagues and How to Make a Vaccine, selects five of the best books to help the layperson understand the human immune system in all its fiendish complexity—and explains why the discovery of a successful vaccine is only the initial breakthrough in the long and logistically challenging battle for disease eradication.
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1
Faith, Reason, and the Plague in Seventeenth Century Tuscany
by Carlo Cippolla -
2
Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life
by James Daschuk -
3
The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria
by Randall Packard -
4
American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic
by Nancy Bristow -
5
Epidemic Invasions: Yellow Fever and the Limits of Cuban Independence, 1878–1930
by Mariola Espinosa
The best books on Pandemics, recommended by Christian W. McMillen
The best books on Pandemics, recommended by Christian W. McMillen
With coronavirus causing widespread panic, we would do well to educate ourselves about the history of pandemics and disease. University of Virginia historian and associate dean Christian W. McMillen, author of Pandemics: A Very Short Introduction, recommends the best introductions to the subject.
The Best Books to Read in Quarantine, recommended by Jenny Davidson
Times of disease and pestilence have much to tell us about the human condition. Jenny Davidson, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, suggests some of the best books to read if you’re self-isolating or in quarantine.
The best books on HIV/Aids, recommended by Arthur Ammann
When dealing with epidemics, science does not have all the answers and relying on a new miracle drug is not always the solution. We must also learn the lessons of history, argues the veteran doctor of the HIV/Aids epidemic, Arthur Ammann.
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1
Polio: An American Story
by David Oshinsky -
2
Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver
by Arthur Allen -
3
The Cutter Incident: How America's First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis
by Paul Offit -
4
Microbe Hunters
by Paul de Kruif -
5
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic
by Steven Johnson
The Best Vaccine Books, recommended by Seth Mnookin
The Best Vaccine Books, recommended by Seth Mnookin
The history of vaccines is fascinating, and we highly recommend all the books discussed in this interview with Seth Mnookin, author of The Panic Virus and Professor of Science Writing at MIT. These are gripping reads that tell the story of vaccines, medicine’s greatest life-saver, and the risks people took to find them.
