In world history writing, who was the author of the influential book "Plagues and Peoples" that examined the impact of disease on civilizations?

Introduction / Context:
"Plagues and Peoples" is a classic work in world history that explores how infectious diseases have shaped human societies, political events and demographic patterns. The question checks whether the learner can correctly associate this important title with its author, William H. McNeill. Awareness of such landmark interdisciplinary books is important for general knowledge exams because they connect biology, epidemiology and history, and they often appear in reading lists for civil services and competitive tests.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The title in question is "Plagues and Peoples".
• The theme is the role of disease in shaping civilizations.
• Four author names are given: W.L. Thomas, Rachel Carson, David Cannadine and William H. McNeill.
• We assume the book is a serious historical analysis rather than a novel or purely scientific text.

Concept / Approach:
To solve authorship questions, the best approach is to connect the book title with the known field and style of each author. William H. McNeill was a prominent historian who wrote widely on world history and global patterns, including the impact of disease. Rachel Carson is associated with environmental awakening through her book "Silent Spring". David Cannadine writes mainly on British history and historiography. W.L. Thomas is less widely recognized in this context. Matching the subject "plagues and peoples" with McNeill's world history perspective quickly points to the correct option.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the theme of the book. "Plagues" indicates diseases and epidemics, while "Peoples" indicates human societies. The book therefore lies at the intersection of epidemiology and history. Step 2: Recall that William H. McNeill is a world historian widely known for writing on broad civilizational patterns and long term processes, including the effect of disease on human history. Step 3: Remember specifically that McNeill authored "Plagues and Peoples", which became an influential text on how diseases transformed empires, trade routes and population structures. Step 4: Examine the other options. Rachel Carson is an environmentalist whose classic work "Silent Spring" deals with pesticides and ecology rather than historical plagues. David Cannadine specializes in British history and empire studies, not this particular theme. W.L. Thomas is not generally associated with this famous title. Step 5: Conclude that William H. McNeill is the only author whose work clearly matches the given title and its interdisciplinary historical approach.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify is to recall standard reading lists in world history courses, where "Plagues and Peoples" appears with McNeill credited as the author. Another mental check is to associate Rachel Carson with environmentalism and "Silent Spring", and to remember that David Cannadine wrote works such as "Ornamentalism" and "The Rise and Fall of the British Aristocracy". None of these align with the specific focus of plagues across global history. Therefore linking the given title with William H. McNeill is consistent with widely taught associations and can be trusted as correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
W.L. Thomas does not match the widely known authorship of this work and is likely included only to distract, so option A is incorrect. Rachel Carson is famous for "Silent Spring" which sparked the modern environmental movement and does not concern broad global history of disease, therefore option B is wrong. David Cannadine is a respected historian but he did not write "Plagues and Peoples", so option C is incorrect. Only William H. McNeill matches the title and its prominence in history writing, making option D correct.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to select Rachel Carson simply because the word "plagues" may be loosely associated with environmental or health crises. Another pitfall is unfamiliarity with McNeill and random guessing based on partial recognition of names. Students sometimes also confuse various history authors if they have not clearly organized them by theme in memory. Creating small mental maps, such as associating McNeill with long term world history, Carson with environmental issues, and Cannadine with British history, helps reduce such confusion in future questions.

Final Answer:
William H.McNeill