The Influenza of 1918: A Comprehensive Account (2015)
The Robert A. Caro '53 Prize for Literary Excellence in the Writing of History Award-Winning Essay, Self-published by Lindsay Zelson in its original form.
Written in Mr. Barry Bienstock's History Research Seminar at Horace Mann School
“Account.”
…“It’s wonderful that HM is giving this award in my name,” said Caro. “I’ve always believed that when doing historical research you should concentrate on the writing as well as the history, and that a work of non-fiction should be as exciting to read as a work of fiction. What makes books endure is the quality of the writing. I did an experiment one summer to try to prove this. I read two chapters of [Edward] Gibbon and then two chapters of War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy) going back and forth, two chapters each, to see if the level of prose compared, and it did. I learned a lot of new information in reading Lindsay’s essay, for instance, that more people were killed by the 1918 influenza epidemic than by the Bubonic Plague, and how it spread. But, most of all, this essay is wonderful because of the quality of the writing. This year’s essay was exceptional, and it is truly thrilling for me to present this award.”
-- Please note: The essay is available for free on other pages of this website. Here it is available for optional purchase. --
The Robert A. Caro '53 Prize for Literary Excellence in the Writing of History Award-Winning Essay, Self-published by Lindsay Zelson in its original form.
Written in Mr. Barry Bienstock's History Research Seminar at Horace Mann School
“Account.”
…“It’s wonderful that HM is giving this award in my name,” said Caro. “I’ve always believed that when doing historical research you should concentrate on the writing as well as the history, and that a work of non-fiction should be as exciting to read as a work of fiction. What makes books endure is the quality of the writing. I did an experiment one summer to try to prove this. I read two chapters of [Edward] Gibbon and then two chapters of War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy) going back and forth, two chapters each, to see if the level of prose compared, and it did. I learned a lot of new information in reading Lindsay’s essay, for instance, that more people were killed by the 1918 influenza epidemic than by the Bubonic Plague, and how it spread. But, most of all, this essay is wonderful because of the quality of the writing. This year’s essay was exceptional, and it is truly thrilling for me to present this award.”
-- Please note: The essay is available for free on other pages of this website. Here it is available for optional purchase. --
The Robert A. Caro '53 Prize for Literary Excellence in the Writing of History Award-Winning Essay, Self-published by Lindsay Zelson in its original form.
Written in Mr. Barry Bienstock's History Research Seminar at Horace Mann School
“Account.”
…“It’s wonderful that HM is giving this award in my name,” said Caro. “I’ve always believed that when doing historical research you should concentrate on the writing as well as the history, and that a work of non-fiction should be as exciting to read as a work of fiction. What makes books endure is the quality of the writing. I did an experiment one summer to try to prove this. I read two chapters of [Edward] Gibbon and then two chapters of War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy) going back and forth, two chapters each, to see if the level of prose compared, and it did. I learned a lot of new information in reading Lindsay’s essay, for instance, that more people were killed by the 1918 influenza epidemic than by the Bubonic Plague, and how it spread. But, most of all, this essay is wonderful because of the quality of the writing. This year’s essay was exceptional, and it is truly thrilling for me to present this award.”
-- Please note: The essay is available for free on other pages of this website. Here it is available for optional purchase. --