Synopses & Reviews
Molly Caldwell Crosby, author of The American Plague and Asleep, once again brings forgotten history to vivid life in an absorbing account of crime and deduction in the early days of the twentieth century.and#160;.and#160;.and#160;. and#160; In the summer of 1913, under the cover of Londonand#8217;s perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted against each otherand#151;a celebrated gentleman thief and a talented Scotland Yard detectiveand#151;in the greatest jewel heist of the new century. An exquisite strand of pale pink pearls, worth more than the Hope Diamond, has been bought by a Hatton Garden broker. Word of the and#147;Mona Lisa of Pearlsand#8221; spreads around the world, captivating jewelers as well as thieves. In transit to London from Paris, the necklace vanishes without a trace. and#160; Joseph Grizzard, and#147;the King of Fences,and#8221; is the charming leader of a vast gang of thieves in Londonand#8217;s East End. Grizzard grew up on the streets of Whitechapel during the terror of Jack the Ripper to rise to the top of the criminal world. Wealthy, married, a father, Grizzard still cannot resist the sport of crime, and the pearl necklace proves an irresistible challenge. and#160; Inspector Alfred Ward patrols the cityand#8217;s dark, befogged streets before joining the brand-new division of the Metropolitan Police known as and#147;detectives.and#8221; Ward earns his stripes catching some of the great murderers of Victorian London and, at the height of his career, is asked to turn his forensic talents to finding the missing pearls and the thief who stole them. and#160; In the spirit of
The Great Train Robbery and the tales of Sherlock Holmes, this is the true story of a psychological cat-and-mouse game set against the backdrop of Londonand#8217;s golden Edwardian era. Thoroughly researched, compellingly colorful,
The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime. and#160; and#160; INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
Review
andquot;Rich and evocative...Crosby has written a book that is as enchanting and irresistible as its subject.andquot;--Candice Millard
andquot;Fast paced, full of twists and turns, and rich in detail...Crosby tells us a fascinating story rooted in such deep historical research that we can practically watch the drama unfold in real time.andquot;--Jeffrey H.andnbsp;Jackson, author of Paris Under Water
Acclaim for the novels of Molly Caldwellandnbsp;Crosby
andquot;Engrossing.andquot;--The New York Timesandnbsp;Bookandnbsp;Review
andquot;Riveting storytelling.andquot;--Publishers Weekly
andquot;Gripping...Highly readable.andquot;--Newsweek
Review
"A ripping yarn...a real-life, old-time Holmesian entertainment."--
Salon
"A gem...In her well-researched account, Crosby recounts the theft, the gang of thieves behind it and Scotland Yard's hunt for the culprints. Her story is rich in the lore of London's famed underworld."--Newsday
"A winning true crime tale involving two superior minds--a very capable detective and a wily gentleman criminal--in a jewel heist at the dawn of twentieth-century England...highlights the cases's major influence on British crime detection and the legal system."--Publishers Weekly
"Crosby's thriller-style account is backed up by her intensive research...Another compelling popular history."--Booklist
"A narrative that manages to remain both exciting and informative...plenty of nefarious action."--The Memphis Commercial Appeal
"Rich and evocative...Crosby has written a book that is as enchanting and irresistible as its subject."--Candice Millard
"Fast paced, full of twists and turns, and rich in detail...Crosby tells us a fascinating story rooted in such deep historical research that we can practically watch the drama unfold in real time."--Jeffrey H.and#160;Jackson, author of Paris Under Water
Acclaim for the works of Molly Caldwelland#160;Crosby
"Engrossing."--The New York Timesand#160;Bookand#160;Review
"Riveting storytelling."--Publishers Weekly
"Gripping...Highly readable."--Newsweek
and#160;
Review
“The outbreak of World War II pushed malaria up the American agenda. Troops found themselves in many highly infected areas, including Africa, the southern Mediterranean and, above all, Asia. [Karen] Mastersons analysis of the havoc caused by the disease and of the research effort by federally funded scientists and clinicians makes a compelling read. Her book is brimming with colorful characters—some admirable, some less so…. Mastersons gripping tale unfolds seamlessly.”
—The Wall Street Journal Synopsis
Slave ships brought it to America as far back as 1648 and over the centuries, yellow fever epidemics plagued the United States. Carried along the mighty Mississippi River, it ravaged towns from New Orleans to St. Louis. New York City lost 2,000 lives in one year alone. It even forced the nation's capital to relocate from Philadelphia to Washington, DC.
The American Plague reveals the true story of yellow fever, recounting Memphis, Tennessee's near-destruction and resurrection from the epidemic-and the four men who changed medical history with their battle against an invisible foe that remains a threat to this very day.
Synopsis
"The American Plague" reveals the true story of yellow fever, recounting Memphis, Tennessee's near-destruction and resurrection from the epidemic--and the four men who changed medical history with their battle against an invisible foe that remains a threat to this very day.
Synopsis
In this account, a journalist traces the course of yellow fever, stopping in 1878 Memphis to "vividly [evoke] the Faulkner-meets-'Dawn of the Dead' horrors,"*-and moving on to today's strain of the killer virus.
Over the course of history, yellow fever has paralyzed governments, halted commerce, quarantined cities, moved the U.S. capital, and altered the outcome of wars. During a single summer in Memphis alone, it cost more lives than the Chicago fire, the San Francisco earthquake, and the Johnstown flood combined.
In 1900, the U.S. sent three doctors to Cuba to discover how yellow fever was spread. There, they launched one of history's most controversial human studies. Compelling and terrifying, The American Plague depicts the story of yellow fever and its reign in this country-and in Africa, where even today it strikes thousands every year. With "arresting tales of heroism,"** it is a story as much about the nature of human beings as it is about the nature of disease.
Synopsis
Molly Caldwell Crosby, author of The American Plague and Asleep, once again brings forgotten history to vivid life in an absorbing account of crime and deduction in the early days of the twentieth century.and#160;.and#160;.and#160;. and#160; In the summer of 1913, under the cover of Londonand#8217;s perpetual smoggy dusk, two brilliant minds are pitted against each otherand#151;a celebrated gentleman thief and a talented Scotland Yard detectiveand#151;in the greatest jewel heist of the new century. An exquisite strand of pale pink pearls, worth more than the Hope Diamond, has been bought by a Hatton Garden broker. Word of the and#147;Mona Lisa of Pearlsand#8221; spreads around the world, captivating jewelers as well as thieves. In transit to London from Paris, the necklace vanishes without a trace. and#160; Joseph Grizzard, and#147;the King of Fences,and#8221; is the charming leader of a vast gang of thieves in Londonand#8217;s East End. Grizzard grew up on the streets of Whitechapel during the terror of Jack the Ripper to rise to the top of the criminal world. Wealthy, married, a father, Grizzard still cannot resist the sport of crime, and the pearl necklace proves an irresistible challenge. and#160; Inspector Alfred Ward patrols the cityand#8217;s dark, befogged streets before joining the brand-new division of the Metropolitan Police known as and#147;detectives.and#8221; Ward earns his stripes catching some of the great murderers of Victorian London and, at the height of his career, is asked to turn his forensic talents to finding the missing pearls and the thief who stole them. and#160; In the spirit of
The Great Train Robbery and the tales of Sherlock Holmes, this is the true story of a psychological cat-and-mouse game set against the backdrop of Londonand#8217;s golden Edwardian era. Thoroughly researched, compellingly colorful,
The Great Pearl Heist is a gripping narrative account of this little-known, yet extraordinary crime. and#160; and#160; INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
Synopsis
A fascinating and shocking historical exposé, The Malaria Project is the story of America's secret mission to combat malaria during World War IIa campaign modeled after a German project which tested experimental drugs on men gone mad from syphilis.
American war planners, foreseeing the tactical need for a malaria drug, recreated the German model, then grew it tenfold. Quickly becoming the biggest and most important medical initiative of the war, the project tasked dozens of the countrys top research scientists and university labs to find a treatment to remedy half a million U.S. troops incapacitated by malaria.
Spearheading the new U.S. effort was Dr. Lowell T. Coggeshall, the son of a poor Indiana farmer whose persistent drive and curiosity led him to become one of the most innovative thinkers in solving the malaria problem. He recruited private corporations, such as today's Squibb and Eli Lilly, and the nations best chemists out of Harvard and Johns Hopkins to make novel compounds that skilled technicians tested on birds. Giants in the field of clinical research, including the future NIH director James Shannon, then tested the drugs on mental health patients and convicted criminalsincluding infamous murderer Nathan Leopold.
By 1943, a dozen strains of malaria brought home in the veins of sick soldiers were injected into these human guinea pigs for drug studies. After hundreds of trials and many deaths, they found their magic bullet,” but not in a U.S. laboratory. America 's best weapon against malaria, still used today, was captured in battle from the Nazis. Called chloroquine, it went on to save more lives than any other drug in history.
Karen M. Masterson, a journalist turned malaria researcher, uncovers the complete story behind this dark tale of science, medicine and war. Illuminating, riveting and surprising, The Malaria Project captures the ethical perils of seeking treatments for disease while ignoring the human condition.
About the Author
Karen M. Masterson is a former political reporter for the Washington Bureau of the Houston Chronicle who left newspapers to pursue her interests in microbiology. On a teaching fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, she stumbled upon the story in The Malaria Project while researching at the National Archives. In 2005, she won a Knight journalism fellowship to study malaria at the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and in rural Tanzania. She has a Masters of Journalism from the University of Maryland and an MA in science writing from Johns Hopkins Universitys acclaimed Writing Seminars. She lives with her husband and twin daughters outside Washington, D. C.