I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Until Proven Safe is a book about the history (and future) of quarantines, starting with the first official quarantines in 1377 in response to the Black Death in Europe.
The book is divided into four parts covering different aspects of quarantine history. Part 1 looks at the various quarantine responses by a wide range of countries in response to COVID-19, which is particularly important. Part 2 goes on to discuss more specific aspects of quarantine history, ranging from responses to the Ebola outbreak, the US response to AIDS, and xenophobia as a response to disease outbreaks in history. Part 3 then changes track and looks at some issues that may not immediately come to mind when one thinks of quarantine, such as protecting areas from invasive species, nuclear waste disposal, and preventing contamination of other planets when launching probes into space. Part 4 then looks to the future, theorising on future technologies to prevent disease outbreaks and using mathematical models to predict future spread of infections.


This fascinating and well-researched book is easy to read. I recommend this for general science enthusiasts, and those with a particular interest in medical history.

I have been listening to Nicola Twilley on Gastropod for years so I was super excited to hear that she had written a book. It was remarkably timely that they had decided to take a deep dive into quarantines at a time when much of the world was wrestling with that exact thing. Far from being one more take on it, I loved the journey that it took me on from the beginnings of how we handled communicable diseases to our more current attempts to deal with an age-old problem. If you enjoy a good mix of history and science on a topic that you may not normally think about, take a dive into this book.

This book was a very interested view on quarantine and the history of it. I very much enjoyed the history and going into such great detail regarding well-known events. The book shows a common phenomenon that draws together the rest of the European history that we are so familiar with.
It is important to note that the book starts with focusing on USA and ends up being mainly about the the USA and Western Europe. The rest of the world is mentioned, but is neither the focus nor covered with enough dept to make the book balanced.
There were, however, instances of the book being under researched. Being from the Balkans, the one detail I found the most jarring was the mention of the Drina border (used as a quarantining line for over one century) being the cause of the animosity the people of the Balkans had toward the Ottoman Empire. This comment is so absurd, and betrayed so much of the authors' ignorance of this region and it's history that it made me question the other subject matter of the book that I wasn't intimately familiar with.

Such an interesting book – a detailed and excellently researched history of quarantine, past, present and future, form the earliest recorded formal quarantine in 1377 to speculation about what quarantine might look like in the future. Scholarly but accessible, the book is full of fascinating and compelling stories and people, and I can’t imagine anyone NOT being absorbed by it. A really great read.

This book discusses the history of quarantines, but also covers several different fields; giving a wide view of isolation for different purposes, such as behaviors of different species, and protection from nuclear or interplanetary contamination. The book is divided into four parts, with a total of nine chapters.

Part 1 discusses the quarantine responses in different countries as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; and then covers the history of different quarantine procedures over the years. From the Black Death to Typhoid Mary, this chapter describes the roles of governments, communities and health workers during outbreaks of disease throughout history.

Part 2 covers several topics related to the history of quarantines, It begins with documenting the travels of John Howard, a philanthropist and prison-reform advocate in the 1700s, and describes various lazarettos that were used for quarantine purposes over the years. There are other chapters discussing the disinfection of mail throughout history, the world's response to Ebola, xenophobic reactions to diseases in the past, the US response to AIDS, and the rapid construction of quarantine facilities during the Covid pandemic.

Part 3 starts by discussing how other non-human species modify their behaviors in response to contagious pathogens. There are chapters that explore disease research and laboratories, invasive species, nuclear waste disposal, and protecting other planets from contamination by Earth-based life when launching probes to other worlds.

Part 4 deals with efforts to predict the future spread of infections, using mathematical models, algorithms, simulations, and huge amounts of data. The authors also theorize about the future of technology designed to help prevent outbreaks.

Overall this was a very interesting and informative book. The authors were able to visit many different places, and include pictures and descriptions of some of these sites. The book was easy to read, and gives a broad view of the different reasons for isolation, and the different methods of attempting to quarantine throughout the years. I was pleasantly surprised that the authors included the sections on invasive species and efforts by NASA, as it makes for a well-rounded and comprehensive view of the subject.

I have been finding that with non-fiction books, microhistories are my jam. And, this one does not disappoint. Following the history of quarantine throughout history both for good and evil purposes, this is a fascinating read and perfect for the moment.

Fascinating!! Quarantines have existed throughout history and have altered the social, racial, economic, and political course of our lives. Through interesting examples, the authors describe the how greed and fear and political greed have often driven the process of protecting our public health. So interesting and timely as the world is engaged in this process as I read this book. Learned so much. Excellent. Thank you to MCD Books for the copy of the book. I’m grateful!

Every crisis is an opportunity - it may be a cliché but it is certainly true in the case of this book. Global pandemic in 2020 made a seemingly obscure quarantine not only relevant but a hot topic.

Thankfully, it is not a case of a hastily written volume intended to grab the spotlight. The authors worked on it for many years, researching, traveling the world and interviewing numerous experts, and it isn’t focused on COVID-19 (but it covers recent developments). I have to admit that after last year I am experiencing a kind of COVID-fatigue, so I’ve found the parts dedicated to the history of quarantine and it’s aspects not related to human infectious diseases most interesting and enlightening. I especially loved the chapter devoted to space exploration - yes, there is such a thing as planetary quarantine!

The book is very well written and original. Recommended to anyone interested in the history of medicine, science and engineering.

Thanks to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This up to the minute history explains the history, associations, and track record of quarantine, and points us toward a future in which we're likely going to be seeing more it, not less. Bad news for those with an addiction to personal liberty and unlimited movement, but a reality that needs to be grappled with lest we be taken again by some very nasty surprises. A thorough and timely book that bears consideration.