Any historian of the nineteenth century will be able to refer to many outbreaks of Cholera, not out in the colonies, but here in Britain, and more importantly amongst the poor in the slums. There is not just one singular example, but many, whether in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, there are many reports and sadly deaths from Cholera. Historian Amanda Thomas, who has written previously about Cholera in Lambeth London, as well as other books has written an interesting and passionate book about Cholera. This is an excellent reader for the general reader of history and an excellent introduction for those students of history who wish to go deeper in to the subject. Amanda Thomas in the first chapter of the book gives a brief synopsis of the history and the epidemics that it has caused. Cholera was feared especially in the nineteenth century and even caused unrest in 1820, but as an ancient disease it has always had the ability to cause fear as its reputation as a killer. Thomas deals with the state of the poor and the terrible sanitary conditions that the poor lived in within the slums. How with the density and poor housing, along with the poor sanitation, the overcrowding, the influx of migrants along with the carbon and chemical emissions from both home and factories, all added to the shortening of lives. By doing this, she is setting the scene in which cholera could flourish especially during the Industrial Revolution. This is an interesting book for all those who are interested in the lives of the poor in the nineteenth century and how disease affected them and took many lives early. As Thomas states in her conclusion ‘Cholera was the plague of the Victorian era…’ but given the right circumstances could return. This is an engrossing read, thought provoking and challenging and a bright light on somethings the elites would have rather forgotten.

I am a lover of non-fiction and I love anything to do with the Victorian era, so could not resist requesting an ARC from NetGalley. This was an okay read... interesting in parts. Personally, a lot of the time I just felt underwhelmed. If you like to read about history this is a good choice for you.