The plague, aptly known as the Black Death, swept through Europe in the 1300s, killing more than 20 million people. Not only deadly but incredibly painful, the disease was characterized by black boils all over the body that oozed blood and pus. While providing more details about the plague, this book, an asset to any social studies collection, also addresses where the lethal outbreak originated and whether it could return. Aided by striking illustrations, sidebars, and fact boxes, readers will discover the conditions in the Middle Ages that made it possible for such an appalling disease to spread so easily.