Norman F. Cantor is a trained historian who studies the Middle Ages. He wrote many books concerning the Middle Ages. In his extremely detailed book, In the Wake of the Plaque, he writes about what he calls “the greatest biomedical disaster in European and perhaps world history.” (Cantor, Wake p. 6) His book is divided into three parts. The first part recounts the biomedical effects and symptoms of the plague, the second part analyzes the effects it had on all the people, cultures, societies and institutions of Europe, and in the last part of the book the consequences and historical consequences are retraced of the plague. The Black Death also had a huge impact on art and literature. According to Cantor the rhyme Ring Around the Rosie was based on the bubonic plague and flu-like symptoms. To repress the memory of the plague, the children danced and sang this nursery rhyme. (Cantor, Wake p.5) Describes how the loss of life affected the people who survived. He also goes into detail about the Jewish conspiracy and how the Jews were responsible for it all. He illustrated how the Black Death affected many families, cultures, societies and institutions during the 13th century. (Cantor, Wake p. 10) Throughout the book he draws notable parallels between BSE and HIV/AIDS. The author begins the book by talking about the biomedical crisis, later known as The Black Death, or bubonic plague, which attacked Europe during the fourteenth century period. Cantor then recounts how people came into contact with the plague and the symptoms that subsequently manifested themselves. People affected by the plague first showed flu-like symptoms, which usually included high fever, in the second stage came the buboes, which... middle of paper... those people had regarding the plague. Works Cited “Minnesota Department of Health.” Fact sheet on the plague. Minnesota.gov, November 16, 2010. Web. April 4, 2014. Halsall, Paolo. “Sourcebooks Project on the History of the Internet.” InternetHistory Sourcebooks Project. Fordham University, July 1998. Network. 06 April 2014. Twiggs, Graham. “Forthcoming: Bubonic Plague: A Much Misunderstood Disease by Graham Twigg.” The Black Death Revisited. Np, 29 December 2012. Web. 06 April 2014. Damen. "1320: Section 6: The Black Death." 1320: Section 6: The Black Death. Np, 2013. Web. 06 April 2014."The Black Death and its consequences." The Black Death and its aftermath. Cranleigh Decorative and Fine Arts Society, n.d. Web. 07 April 2014.Cohn, Samuel K. “Epidemiology of the Black Death and Subsequent Waves of Plague.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. NCBI, 2008. Web. 07 April. 2014.