Synopses & Reviews
The story of viruses and the story of humanity have been intertwined since the dawn of history. The first small cities formed not only the cradle of civilization, but the spawning ground for the earliest viral epidemics, the first opportunity for viruses to find a home in the human herd. This is a story of fear and ignorance, as everything from demons and the wrath of the gods to minority groups have been blamed for epidemics from smallpox to yellow fever to AIDS. It is a story of grief and heartbreak, as hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, are wiped out in a single year. And it is a story of great bravery and sacrifice, as doctors and nurses put themselves in harm's way to combat yellow fever in Memphis and Ebola in Zaire, and as researchers risk their own lives to test theories of vaccines and the transmission of disease. Now, in
Viruses, Plagues, and History, Michael B. A. Oldstone tells all these stories as he illuminates the history of the devastating diseases that have tormented humanity.
Oldstone focuses his tale on a few of the most famous viruses humanity has battled, beginning with some we have effectively defeated, such as smallpox, polio, and measles. Nearly 300 million people were killed by smallpox in this century alone -- more than were killed in all the wars of the twentieth century combined. The author presents a vivid account of the long campaign against the virus, the insightful work of Edward Jenner, who created the smallpox vaccine from cowpox virus in 1796, and the monumental efforts of D. A. Henderson and an army of W.H.O. health care workers to finally eradicate smallpox. The smallpox virus remains the only organism that we have deliberately pushed to complete extinction in the wild.
Oldstone then describes the fascinating viruses that have captured headlines in more recent years: Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers, which literally turn their victims' organs to a bloody pulp; the Hantavirus outbreaks in the southwestern United States and elsewhere; mad cow disease, a frightening illness made worse by government mishandling and secrecy; and, of course, AIDS, often called "the plague of our time." And he tells us of the many scientists watching and waiting even now for the next great plague, monitoring influenza strains to see whether the deadly variant from 1918 -- a viral strain that killed over 20 million people in 1918-1919, more than twice the military and civilian casualties of the First World War -- will make a comeback.
Viruses have enormous power. They have wiped out cities, brought down dynasties, and helped destroy civilizations. But, as Michael Oldstone reveals, scientific research has given us the power to tame many of these viruses as well. Viruses, Plagues, and History shows us the panorama of humanity's long-standing conflict with our unseen viral enemies, from our successes to our continuing struggles. Oldstone's book is a vivid history of a fascinating field, and a highly reliable dispatch from a worker on the frontiers of this ongoing campaign.
Review
"Oldstone's love of history and scholarship as well as his wisdom and hands-on knowledge of science makes this book engrossing. Everyone from the interested layman to the infectious diseases expert will enjoy his timely accounting of man's battles with viruses that can kill."-- Thomas C. Merigan, Director, Center for AIDS Research, Stanford University School of Medicine
"The notion that viruses can shape global events is at the heart of [Oldstone's volume], a short book that attempts to intertwine the story of some of the world's most notorious viral diseases with the history of humanity. From his account of how smallpox devastated native Indian populations, facilitating the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Peru, to his discussion of the effect of measles on Civil War troops, he makes a solid case.... The book is sprinkled with good anecdotes."--The New York Times Book Review
"Oldstone's love of history and scholarship as well as his wisdom and hands-on knowledge of science makes this book engrossing. Everyone from the interested layman to the infectious diseases expert will enjoy his timely accounting of man's battles with viruses that can kill. This is today's version of DeKruif's Microbe Hunters.--Thomas C. Merigan, Director, Center for AIDS Research, Stanford University School of Medicine
"[This book] has a charmingly hagiographic attitude toward the titans of biomedical research and the World Health Organization.... [Oldstone's] sincerity and utter faith in humanity's ability to progress is refreshing in a time of hip cynicism and nihilism."--The Nation
"All educated people need to have some understanding of what viruses are and how we deal with them. Viruses, Plagues, and History provides us with a very timely and accessible account of the ways that these minute parasites have indluenced civilization. Dr. Oldstone's narrative should convince us, both collectively and as individuals, that we cannot afford to be complacent. He shows us the face of some terrible enemies. He tells us of the courage of the few who have dedicated, and sometimes given, their lives to protect humanity. Though there have been major triumphs, the threat from virus infections is ever present and evolving."--Peter Doherty, 1996 Nobel Laureate in Medicine
"Altogether, this is a fascinating book that puts the triumphs of preventive medicine, based on patient and sometimes brilliant scientific research, into an historical perspective and enables the lay person to appreciate better the significance of the periodical `scare' headlines about new viral diseases that appear from time to time in the media."--Dr. Frank Fenner, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Austrailan National University
"A worthy successor to classics such as Zinsser's Rats, Lice, and History, and O'Neill's Plagues and People, this highly readable account describes a number of the most interesting and significant episodes in the history of virology and viral diseases. It will interest and inform both the lay reader and the research professional alike."--Dr. Neal Nathanson, Emeritus Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, and Editor in Chief of Viral Pathogenesis
"Oldstone...brings new clinical, epidemiological, and research material to his discussion of a currently popular topic.... He well understands historical contexts and developments, and he has interviewed scientists involved in pertinent clinical and research work when that was possible. His chapter on yellow fever, a major plague in colonial and early American history, is a particularly excellent example of detailed investigation readably coupled with logical narration."--Booklist
"The author has made a clear effort to make the subject uinderstandable to those outside biomedical research and he has achieved this goal...an excellent read for healthcare workers, biomedical students, scientists, virologists, immunologists and those interested in the history of man's battle with infectious disease."--Nature Medicine
"Oldstone provides concise, telling accounts of the most dreaded viral epidemic diseases and of the virologists who pioneered their identification, pathogenesis, and prevention through vaccination....accessible reading for the non-specialist, and reminds virologists of our debt to the field's founders."--Science
"This book is fascinating. It serves to entertain and to give us a sense of where we stand as humans in the universe of microorganisms. More importantly, it relates the history of our battles with these agents of disease, in the hope that we can learn from the past, go forward with as much courage as did the medical pioneers who fought to save our ancestors, and avoid the pettiness that often led them astray."--Annals of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
"This book is not simply a celebration of successes and of champions, Oldstone reveals human frailties and failings unflinchingly....it is a memorable and absorbing excursion into seldom visited areas of medical history."--Canadian Medical Association Journal
"...[A]n interesting history of the discoveries in virology written by one who has been personally engaged in the battle to overcome these microbes."--Canadian Bulletin of Medical History
About the Author
Michael B. A. Oldstone is a Member (Professor) at the Scripps Research Institute, where he directs a laboratory of viral immunobiology. He is currently a member of the World Health Organization steering committee concerned with the eradication of measles and poliovirus, an editor of the journal
Virology, and the recipient of numerous scientific honors. He was also Scientific Counselor for the intramural program of the Allergy and Infectious Disease Unit of the National Institute of Health and was recently elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.