“Disease and History,”  a lecture by Andrew Jampoler, Monday, October 7, 7-8 pm at the Northeast Neighborhood Library, 330 Seventh Street NE.

Until the age of modern medicine, lethal epidemics and fatal disease shaped human history as much—arguably more—than did the acts of great men (and women) and the events of politics and wars. Plague, influenza, yellow fever, and small pox (as well as the “great pox,” syphilis), and especially cholera, powerfully changed the direction of the march of time. Today’s outbreaks of measles, polio and Ebola are just the latest incidents of the long arc of disease.

Andrew (Andy) Jampoler is an intrepid researcher and writer; for example, traveling with his son 1,400 miles down the Congo River in 2011 as research for his book Congo. He has published seven books, with an eighth (on the short life and sudden destruction of the cruiser USS Memphis a century ago) under way. He also serves as expert lecturer for Regent Seven Seas cruises and gives illustrated talks on the subjects of his books, articles, and historical research to audiences in the U.S. and abroad.

Join your friends at Capitol Hill Village for an unsettling exploration of the pathology that lies behind the world we inherited.

Free and open to the public.

Village Voices lectures are sponsored by Capitol Hill Village.

Meet and learn from your illustrious Capitol Hill neighbors in informal, free, public discussions about social, economic, and political topics in this latest installment in the Village Voices series. For further information, call Capitol Hill Village, 202-543-1778 or email info@capitolhillvillage.org.