Viruses, Plagues, and History

In Viruses, Plagues, and History, virologist Michael Oldstone explains the scientific principles of viruses and epidemics while relating the past and present history of the major and recurring viral threats to human health, and how they have influenced human events.

The author's writing is clear and authoritative. This work adds an important contribution to the available literature and presents an interesting timeline that shows why the names of these diseases have become part of everyday language.

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, [Oldstone] makes a solid case...[His] book is sprinkled with good anecdotes.

The book, written by an expert virologist and immunologist who has spent his life researching how viruses infect cells, is a superb overview of the viral infections that have afflicted humanity. Oldstone's encyclopedic knowledge of the history of this subject adds a unique dimension to this book, which is also thoroughly researched and extensively referenced for readers who want to read the original sources.

Concise, telling accounts of the most dreaded viral epidemic diseases and of the virologists who pioneered their identification, pathogenesis, and prevention…Accessible reading for the non-specialist.

All educated people need to have some understanding of what viruses are and how we deal with them. [This book] provides us with a very timely and accessible account of the way that these minute parasites have influenced civilization.

Scholarly documentation, sprinkled with fascinating vignettes, of the enormous progress made against viral diseases which have taken more lives than all the wars… A must read for non-scientists and policy makers.

The book brings together not just a description of these diseases and how they have affected our history and behavior, but also narrates the search for the causative agents, explaining how they are transmitted, how research lead to development of vaccines... Overall this is an excellent book which I heartily recommend to a wide readership.

In Viruses, Plagues, & History, Michael B.A. Oldstone brilliantly combines a scientific and human insight to bring to vivid life humanity's struggles with these deadly forces... those that have been conquered such as smallpox and yellow fever, and today's scourges such as Ebola and AIDS.

This highly readable account describes a number of the most interesting and significant episodes in the history of virology and viral diseases.

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 laymen to the infectious disease 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.

The book...is a superb overview of the viral infections that have afflicted humanity. Oldstone's encyclopedic knowledge of the history of this subject adds a unique dimension to this book, which is also thoroughly researched and extensively referenced for readers who want to read the original sources.

Michael B. A. Oldstone is a member (Professor) at The Scripps Research Institute where he directed the Laboratory of Viral-Immunobiology. He received multiple international and national awards for the fruits of his contribution to virology and immunology and has been elected to several international and national academic societies including the National Academy of Sciences (USA) and the Scandinavian Society for Immunology. He has been a consultant to multiple institutions including the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health (USA).