Black Death at the Golden Gate

“A vivid, fast-paced and at times revolting history of the plague in San Francisco.… [Black Death at the Golden Gate] unfolds like a medical thriller.” – Julia Flynn Siler - Wall Street Journal“The race to identify, isolate and halt the disease is set against a rich background of official complacency, financial malfeasance, political intrigues and scientific disputes.… Randall’s account is pacy and gripping.” – Tilli Tansey - Nature“A meticulously researched history that unfolds like a thriller.” – Mary Roach, New York Times best-selling author of Grunt“A haunting detective tale packed with villains and heroes.” – Jason Fagone, author of the national bestseller The Woman Who Smashed Codes“Black Death at the Golden Gate provides a fascinating glimpse into [a] forgotten chapter of American history.… Discrimination, bigotry, and greed are woven throughout this fast-paced, historical, non-fiction adventure.… This is a great read for anyone who enjoys history or medicine.” – Jennifer Melville - San Francisco Book Review“A fascinating, in-depth look at a little-known episode in American history.… The story of the bubonic plague outbreak serves as an excellent lead-in for Randall to examine the advances that created modern cities.” – Shelf Awareness“This story of an epidemic that wasn’t is a gripping historical mystery and a key cautionary tale for our own time.” – Booklist“A complex tale of medicine, politics, race, and public health.… [Randall] does good work in revealing the clamorous clash of public and private interests surrounding the outbreak.… A tale that resonates with the outbreak of measles, mumps, and other supposedly contained epidemics today.” – Kirkus Reviews“David K. Randall is a spellbinding writer. He has turned a critical chapter of medical history into a riveting tale that reads like a detective novel, chock-full of scandals and intrigue.… Read Black Death at the Golden Gate because it’s a page-turner, but more important, read this book because the issues Randall spotlights resonate today.” – Randi Hutter Epstein, author of Aroused

David K. Randall is the New York Times best-selling author of four books, including Dreamland and Black Death at the Golden Gate. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. A senior reporter at Reuters, he lives in Montclair, New Jersey.