Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It

by Gina Kolata (Author), Gina Kolata (Author)

• Used

  Illustrated
  2001

  $3.25

  A national bestseller, the fast-paced and gripping account of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918 from acclaimed science journalist Gina Kolata, now featuring a new epilogue about avian flu. When we think of plagues, we think of AIDS, Ebola, anthrax spores, and, of course, the Black Death. But in 1918 the Great Flu Epidemic killed an estimated forty million people virtually overnight. If such a plague returned today, taking a comparable percentage of the US population with it, 1.5 million Americans would die. In Flu, Gina Kolata, an acclaimed reporter for The New York Times, unravels the mystery of this lethal virus with the high drama of a great adventure story. From Alaska to Norway, from the streets of Hong Kong to the corridors of the White House, Kolata tracks the race to recover the live pathogen and probes the fear that has impelled government policy. A gripping work of science writing, Flu addresses the prospects for a great epidemic s recurrence and considers what can be done to prevent it.

• Used

  Paperback
  2001

  $3.25

  In 1918, a terrifying disease swept the globe, killing at least forty million people and preying on the young and healthy. Even Eskimos living in remote outposts in the frozen tundra were sickened and killed in huge numbers. But perhaps the most frightening thing of all was that the killer was a strain of virus that comes around every year - flu. Scientists have recently discovered shards of the flu virus frozen in victims bodies in Alaska. Gina Kolata recreates this amazing discovery with the high drama of an adventure story. Delving into the history of the flu and previous epidemics, detailing the science and the latest understanding of this mortal disease, Kolata addresses the prospects for a great epidemic recurring, and most importantly, what can be done to prevent it.'Terrifying ...Kolata's informative study is also a thrilling detective story' Daily Mail'Big ideas, high stakes and the aftermath of tragedy on a colossal scale'Times Educational Supplement'The clarity and readability of a microbiological Conan Doyle ...Kolata follows a specific, enthralling scientific quest' Evening Standard'Fascinating scientific history' Guardian

• Used

  Hardcover
  2000

  $3.25