What media gives the most accurate portrayal of life during the Bubonic Plague?

by alli-katt

As we go through this pandemic, I've been very interested in other times of pandemic throughout history. What media (non-fiction books, documentaries, etc) give the most reliable information on the bubonic plague in europe?

y_sengaku

Historical documentaries on the Black Death tend to be a bit dated, i.e. the most of them are not up-to-date to follow up the latest research in the last decade(s).
So, you have to watch virtually all of them with grain of salt as for their historical 'accuracy'.

I make comments on some of them, and (if possible) with the link to their official streaming site:

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[Added]: If it is also OK to list the book based on the academic research (sorry if I misunderstand 'media' in OP's original question), those by Ole J. Benedictow was the most detailed so far, though it might be too heavy. Two primary source collection edited by Aberth & Horrox are very convenient to check how the medieval people witnessed and recorded this pan-European/ Eurasian crisis.

Alternatively, I'd recommend Kelly's one as more readable for general readers.

The subreddit's book list also recommends Hatcher's The Black Death: An Intimate History (2010).

Suggested Booklist:

  • Aberth, John (ed. & trans.). The Black Death: The Great Mortality 1348-1350. A Brief History with Documents. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford, 2017.
  • Horrrox, Rosemary (ed. & trans.). The Black Death. Manchester: Manchester UP, 1994.

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  • Benedictow, Ole J. The Black Death 1346-1353: The Complete History. Woodbridge: Boydell, 2004.
  • Kelly, John. The Great Mortality. New York: Harper Perennial, 2006 (The original edition was published in 2005).