Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical

Anthony Bourdain

Oct 2010 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA

About this ebook

From beloved chef and bestselling author Anthony Bourdain, the riveting true crime tale of deadly cook Mary Mallon-otherwise known as the infamous Typhoid Mary.

A riveting true crime tale told by one of the most gripping food writers in history, Typhoid Mary is the story of a madcap pursuit through the kitchens of New York City at the turn of the century. By the late nineteenth century, it seemed that New York City had put an end to the outbreaks of typhoid fever that had decimated the city. That is, until 1904, when the disease broke out in one household on Long Island. Authorities suspected the family cook, Mary Mallon, of infecting the home. But before she could be tested, the woman, soon to be known as Typhoid Mary, had disappeared. Over the course of the next three years, Mary spread her pestilence from household to household as she narrowly escaped the law until 1907, when she was traced to a home on Park Avenue and promptly arrested.

Institutionalized at Riverside Hospital for three years, she was released on the promise that she never work as a cook again. So she disappeared again, only to assume countless aliases as she continued blazing a diseased path through New York for many deadly years to come. This is her story. Taking us through the seedy back doors of New York's kitchens circa 1900, Typhoid Mary uncovers the horrifying conditions that allowed for the deadly spread of typhoid over a decade. Writing with his signature panache about his best subject, the life of a chef, Bourdain serves a true feast for history lovers, true crime fans, and his own devotees alike.

Ratings and reviews

another great book from Anthony... the ending was so touching (:

Typhoid Mary

Typhoid mary

About the author

Anthony Bourdain, the renowned chef, author, and raconteur, is best known for having traveled the globe on his TV show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. He established himself as a professional gadfly, bête noir, advocate, social critic, and pork enthusiast worldwide. Bourdain authored the New York Times bestselling Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw; A Cook's Tour; the collection The Nasty Bits; the novels Bone in the Throat and Gone Bamboo; two graphic novels; and the New York Times bestselling cookbook, Appetites. He wrote for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Times of London, Bon Appetit, and many other publications. He was the host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning docuseries Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown on CNN, and Emmy award-winning No Reservations, among others. He passed away in 2018.