The Fatal Breath is the first full-scale history of the Covid-19 pandemic in Britain. Deploying a rich archive of personal testimonies together with a wide range of research reports and official data, it presents a moving and challenging account of the crisis that enveloped Britain (and the world) in the spring of 2020.

With sensitivity, care, and an historian's critical eye, David Vincent places the pandemic in context. While much contemporary commentary has assumed people were forced to develop entirely new ways of living and working during lockdown, Vincent reveals how the population was able to draw upon a wealth of resources and coping strategies already seen over the centuries, often reacting far more quickly and effectively than slow-moving authorities. He tells the stories of doctors' and nurses' time on the frontlines, reveals the true extent of supply shortages, conspiracy theories, and vaccine resistance, and explores individuals' newfound appreciation of nature and community in lockdown.

The Fatal Breath will appeal to anyone seeking to reflect on the past few years and how the pandemic has changed Britain - for better and for worse.

About the Author
David Vincent is Emeritus Professor of Social History and former Pro Vice Chancellor at The Open University. He is the author of a number of books, including A History of Solitude (2020) and Privacy: A Short History (2016), both published by Polity.

Reviews

'As a social historian specializing in working-class autobiography, David Vincent brings a unique and human perspective to the Covid pandemic crisis. Whilst not ignoring the politics, economics, and inequalities of the UK experience, he celebrates the brave and bold responses of men and women across the nation who faced isolation, despair, bereavement, and illness. This book is a tour de force, shocking and heartwarming, an historical analysis of a huge upheaval in British life.'
Anthony Costello, Professor of Global Health, University College London

'Vincent provides the kind of rich and meticulous chronicle of social life under Covid-19 which is so urgently needed to make sense of the last few years. Bringing an historian's sensibility to the recent past, The Fatal Breath will stand as an indispensable resource for readers far beyond our present moment.'
Fred Cooper, University of Exeter

'With this book, the leading social historian David Vincent tackles the Covid pandemic, providing novel insights which will appeal to both academics and the general public.'
Barbara Taylor, Queen Mary University of London

'This bold and forensic history of the pandemic, drawing on previously unpublished diaries, underlines the sheer scale of suffering, with the poor and isolated particularly badly hit.'
Mark Honigsbaum, The Observer

'a readable and thoroughly researched account of different aspects of our societal response to the pandemic.'
Church Times

Book Information
ISBN 9781509551675
Author David Vincent
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 635g
Dimensions(mm) 231mm * 152mm * 33mm