Description:

In 1918, at least 40 million people --some estimates double that figure-- worldwide died in a matter of a few months. The killer was a lethal form of virus: H1N1 influenza, dubbed "Spanish Flu" in the annals of an epidemic that has been largely forgotten.

Until now, with a variant of H1N1 currently raising fears of another worldwide pandemic.

In this interview, historian John Barry discusses the 1918 influenza in his acclaimed book THE GREAT INFLUENZA. What he relates has great relevance to the present-day spectre of the emerging flu threat and what it might mean to human society.