Rating: 
Summary: Fast moving...and MORE TIMELY EACH DAY
Review: Smallpox is back into the news with a VENGEANCE these days...and Scourge's theme becomes as timely -- informative, troubling and, when you ponder it, TRAGIC -- as ever. But make no mistake about it: this book is NOT just doom-and-gloom: the underlying message is that man battled smallpox -- the airborne, spitting cobra of diseases --throughout the centuries and eventually won. And even though it looks like a merciless segment of mankind (terrorists or terrorists-sympathizing governments) could WITTINGLY unleash this disease that already killed millions, mankind conquered smallpox once -- and it can do so again......but it will cost many lives. Just look at some recent news stories. It recently was revealed that some Russians died during the 70s of what was suspected to have been a "perfected" form of weaponized
smallpox secretly developed by their own government to use against the United States. July 2002: a news story notes a US plan to immunize nurses doctors and other health workers first and provide for treatment and mass vaccination AFTER the fact. July 2002: a news story says volunteers are trying a 50-year-old smallpox vaccine in the US, where vaccinations haven't been offered since 1972 (and they wear off after 10 years). In Scourge, biological and technical weapons expert Jonathan Tucker gives you the PERFECT briefing book on how the disease works, how it is spread, how doctors have painstakingly battled to decrease its murderous capacity over the centuries, and how, in 1978 under WHO's remarkable Dr. DA Henderson, international doctors proclaimed a relentless campaign against the disease over and successful: smallpox was completely erradicated. One of the book's most fascinating parts is how he traces smallpox's use(with little remorse) as an early biological weapon by colonists against Native Americans, by the British against Americans and others. And why not? The disease kills 30 percent of the people who get it in the most horrific, painful ways: it would literally bring an enemy to its knees. This clearly-written, fast moving book then shifts: to one of the greatest betrayals of mankind. And when the shift comes you are shocked...and sickened. Tucker outlines in great detail how the rumors were confirmed: yes, the Soviet Union had LIED -- and HAD maintained smallpox stocks and HAD worked on developing it for use as The ULTIMATE biological weapon (confirmed by recent news reports). The Soviets wanted to "perfect" smallpox as a lethal weapon that could kill up to 100 percent of the time (in other words 30 percent was too low a death rate for them) -- to spray or bomb via missile or plane to finish off an already-reeling US population after a catastrophic nuclear attack. Today, Tucker notes, it's feared that virus stocks are held by North Korea, Iran, Iraq and China. Even worse: there are fears that terrorists can get -- or already have -- the
smallpox weapon. All this in a world in which countries have stopped smallpox vaccinations. PERSONAL NOTE: I can personally attest to some of this book's accuracy. In 1974, as a freelance correspondent for the Chicago Daily News, I went down to Patna, Bihar with WHO teams as they went into tiny villages to find smallpox cases, isolate them, and vaccinate other areas. It wasn't pretty. But the doctors were so inspiring: they BELIEVED they had an unparalleled medical achievement within their grasp and that, for the good of humanity, they were close to totally exterminating this disease. And by 1978 they announced that they did. But in the end, as this book shows, they -- and centuries of dedicated medical workers, doctors and smallpox victims -- were betrayed. Yes, the doctors killed smallpox. But the military and governments kept it on life support. A pox on both their houses.
Rating:
Summary: Fast moving...and MORE TIMELY EACH DAY
Review: Smallpox is back into the news with a VENGEANCE these days...and Scourge's theme becomes as timely -- informative, troubling and, when you ponder it, TRAGIC -- as ever. But make no mistake about it: this book is NOT just doom-and-gloom: the underlying message is that man battled smallpox -- the airborne, spitting cobra of diseases --throughout the centuries and eventually won. And even though it looks like a merciless segment of mankind (terrorists or terrorists-sympathizing governments) could WITTINGLY unleash this disease that already killed millions, mankind conquered smallpox once -- and it can do so again......but it will cost many lives. Just look at some recent news stories. It recently was revealed that some Russians died during the 70s of what was suspected to have been a "perfected" form of weaponized
smallpox secretly developed by their own government to use against the United States. July 2002: a news story notes a US plan to immunize nurses doctors and other health workers first and provide for treatment and mass vaccination AFTER the fact. July 2002: a news story says volunteers are trying a 50-year-old smallpox vaccine in the US, where vaccinations haven't been offered since 1972 (and they wear off after 10 years). In Scourge, biological and technical weapons expert Jonathan Tucker gives you the PERFECT briefing book on how the disease works, how it is spread, how doctors have painstakingly battled to decrease its murderous capacity over the centuries, and how, in 1978 under WHO's remarkable Dr. DA Henderson, international doctors proclaimed a relentless campaign against the disease over and successful: smallpox was completely erradicated. One of the book's most fascinating parts is how he traces smallpox's use(with little remorse) as an early biological weapon by colonists against Native Americans, by the British against Americans and others. And why not? The disease kills 30 percent of the people who get it in the most horrific, painful ways: it would literally bring an enemy to its knees. This clearly-written, fast moving book then shifts: to one of the greatest betrayals of mankind. And when the shift comes you are shocked...and sickened. Tucker outlines in great detail how the rumors were confirmed: yes, the Soviet Union had LIED -- and HAD maintained smallpox stocks and HAD worked on developing it for use as The ULTIMATE biological weapon (confirmed by recent news reports). The Soviets wanted to "perfect" smallpox as a lethal weapon that could kill up to 100 percent of the time (in other words 30 percent was too low a death rate for them) -- to spray or bomb via missile or plane to finish off an already-reeling US population after a catastrophic nuclear attack. Today, Tucker notes, it's feared that virus stocks are held by North Korea, Iran, Iraq and China. Even worse: there are fears that terrorists can get -- or already have -- the
smallpox weapon. All this in a world in which countries have stopped smallpox vaccinations. PERSONAL NOTE: I can personally attest to some of this book's accuracy. In 1974, as a freelance correspondent for the Chicago Daily News, I went down to Patna, Bihar with WHO teams as they went into tiny villages to find smallpox cases, isolate them, and vaccinate other areas. It wasn't pretty. But the doctors were so inspiring: they BELIEVED they had an unparalleled medical achievement within their grasp and that, for the good of humanity, they were close to totally exterminating this disease. And by 1978 they announced that they did. But in the end, as this book shows, they -- and centuries of dedicated medical workers, doctors and smallpox victims -- were betrayed. Yes, the doctors killed smallpox. But the military and governments kept it on life support. A pox on both their houses.
Rating:
Summary: The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox
Review: The author, Jonathan Tucker is an expert on biological and chemical weapons. He studied biology at Yale University, received his Ph.D. in political science from MIT, and served in the State Department, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. So, although his descriptions of past epidemics are horrible enough, it's the present and future threat of smallpox---the second half of this book---where Tucker really scared the bejabbers out of me. I had no idea that the Soviet bioweapons program, Vector, had gone as far as it did in developing viral weapons. According to the author, "Some 4,500 people, including about 250 Ph.D.-level scientists, worked at Vector in the late 1980s...One goal of the...program was to develop a smallpox-based biological weapon containing virulence genes from Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus. At least theoretically, such a viral chimera would combine the hardiness and transmissibility of smallpox with the lethality of Ebola, which was between 90 percent and 100 percent fatal, resulting in an 'absolute' biological weapon." The real irony of the Vector bioweapons program was that the Soviet Union (along with the United States) was a major factor in eradicating the scourge of smallpox from the world in the 1970s. Where are those 4,500 people who worked at Vector, now? Where is the twenty tons of smallpox virus formulation that was stocked at the Center of Virology in Zagorsk? The Soviets supposedly destroyed the stockpile in the late 1980s, but the smallpox seed cultures and the expertise to manufacture biological weapons from them still remain. The author clearly presents the arguments for and against retaining the known remaining smallpox virus stocks in Atlanta and Moscow. However, I believe he sides with the 'destructionists' rather than the 'retentionists': "From a practical standpoint, now that the DNA sequences of representative strains of variola virus hade been determined, the live virus was no longer needed to identify smallpox if it were to reappear in the future. Nor would live variola [smallpox] virus be required to protect against a future outbreak of smallpox, since the small pox vaccine--based on the distinct vaccinia virus--could be retained and stockpiled for insurance purposes." The long, difficult task of eliminating smallpox from the world (as thrillingly described in "Scourge") will not be complete until all known and rogue virus stocks (believed held by North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and possibly China) are destroyed. The world's population has grown increasingly vulnerable to the disease since the last official vaccination programs were eliminated in 1984, as the protective immunity induced by the vaccine lasts only about seven to ten years. Nor is there an effective medical treatment for smallpox. As Tucker states in his closing sentence: "Until humanity's legal and moral restraints catch up with its scientific and technological achievements, the eradication of smallpox will remain as much a cautionary tale as an inspirational one."
Rating:
Summary: The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox
Review: The author, Jonathan Tucker is an expert on biological and chemical weapons. He studied biology at Yale University, received his Ph.D. in political science from MIT, and served in the State Department, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. So, although his descriptions of past epidemics are horrible enough, it's the present and future threat of smallpox---the second half of this book---where Tucker really scared the bejabbers out of me. I had no idea that the Soviet bioweapons program, Vector, had gone as far as it did in developing viral weapons. According to the author, "Some 4,500 people, including about 250 Ph.D.-level scientists, worked at Vector in the late 1980s...One goal of the...program was to develop a smallpox-based biological weapon containing virulence genes from Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus. At least theoretically, such a viral chimera would combine the hardiness and transmissibility of smallpox with the lethality of Ebola, which was between 90 percent and 100 percent fatal, resulting in an 'absolute' biological weapon." The real irony of the Vector bioweapons program was that the Soviet Union (along with the United States) was a major factor in eradicating the scourge of smallpox from the world in the 1970s. Where are those 4,500 people who worked at Vector, now? Where is the twenty tons of smallpox virus formulation that was stocked at the Center of Virology in Zagorsk? The Soviets supposedly destroyed the stockpile in the late 1980s, but the smallpox seed cultures and the expertise to manufacture biological weapons from them still remain. The author clearly presents the arguments for and against retaining the known remaining smallpox virus stocks in Atlanta and Moscow. However, I believe he sides with the 'destructionists' rather than the 'retentionists': "From a practical standpoint, now that the DNA sequences of representative strains of variola virus hade been determined, the live virus was no longer needed to identify smallpox if it were to reappear in the future. Nor would live variola [smallpox] virus be required to protect against a future outbreak of smallpox, since the small pox vaccine--based on the distinct vaccinia virus--could be retained and stockpiled for insurance purposes." The long, difficult task of eliminating smallpox from the world (as thrillingly described in "Scourge") will not be complete until all known and rogue virus stocks (believed held by North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and possibly China) are destroyed. The world's population has grown increasingly vulnerable to the disease since the last official vaccination programs were eliminated in 1984, as the protective immunity induced by the vaccine lasts only about seven to ten years. Nor is there an effective medical treatment for smallpox. As Tucker states in his closing sentence: "Until humanity's legal and moral restraints catch up with its scientific and technological achievements, the eradication of smallpox will remain as much a cautionary tale as an inspirational one."
Rating:
Summary: This one is difficult to put down.
Review: The eradication of smallpox was one of the great medical successes of the 20th century. As Tucker (Toxic Terror) explains, smallpox has devastated humankind throughout most of its history. Highly contagious and with a fatality rate of about 30%, smallpox killed three times more people than did wars during the last century. Tucker describes the ravages caused by the disease and succinctly traces its role in history: its use as a biological weapon (by colonists against Native Americans, the British against American colonists during the Rwevolution and by both sides during the American Civil War) and the World Health Organization's remarkable battle, waged largely under the direction of Dr. D.A. Henderson, against naturally occurring smallpox (the battle was won in 1980). Even as the last traces of smallpox were being destroyed, however, the Soviets were experimenting with military uses for the deadly virus. Drawing on popularly published sources, Tucker argues that such research continued at least until the Soviet Union disbanded, and probably beyond. Other than mentioning that President Nixon prohibited such research in the United States, Tucker remains silent about any U.S. offensive strategies involving the disease. Warning that terrorists might well have access to samples of the smallpox virus, he remarks that, if successfully unleashed, the virus could decimate the world's population. Even though a naturally occurring case of smallpox has not been seen in more than 20 years, the government spends millions of dollars annually researching treatment strategies and producing vaccines for storage. Tucker breathes new life into mostly familiar material; the book is difficult to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly fascinating!
Review: There are already a number of great Amazon[.com] reviews on this book; I just wanted to add my voice and say how much I enjoyed it. It is incredibly well written and very difficult to put down. Tucker does a fantastic job of presenting the harsh history of small pox as well as alerting the reader the to potential modern-day threat. It is immensely interesting and informative. I've leant this book to a couple of friends, and they both were very pleased with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Timely and compelling
Review: This book discusses the natural history of smallpox, its use as a military weapon, the dramatic campaign that eliminated it in nature, the debate about eliminating it in known laboratories, and the threat of its use in bioterrorism.
Tucker introduces the reader to interesting but little-known facts about smallpox in history. For example, during the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold laid siege to Quebek City. The commander of Quebek sent smallpox-variolated civilians to mingle among the Continental Army troops, and within weeks a massive epidemic broke out. The Continental Army burried its dead in mass graves and retreated in disorder. The author concludes that "Were it not for that epidemic, Quebek and perhaps all Canada might be part of the United States today."
The discussion of smallpox as an instrument of terrorism is chilling. For example, Tucker reports a Pentagon adviser's concern that "if a ruthless tyrant like Saddam Hussein had his back to the wall and nothing left to lose, he might consider unleashing smallpox against his enemies as a final instrument of revenge." Indeed, Iraq is suspected of harboring secret smallpox stocks, based on circumstantial evidence discussed in the book. Another expert characterizes the threat of a smallpox attack as a "low probability, high impact" risk.
"Scourge" is relevant, timely and a pretty good read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book but Scary
Review: This book is excellently written and researched. I have never been both scared and horrified while reading a book. I was this time.
Rating:
Summary: Smallpox -- Eradication and back again, maybe
Review: This book was written from extensive interviews with Dr. Henderson, the CDC and Johns Hopkins public health physician who headed up the program to eradicate smallpox from the world, believed to be successful as of 1980. So the stories from that fight to rid the world of smallpox are fascinating and authoritative. The story continues through Henderson's effort to get rid of the last government storage freezers of the virus -- and his failure, because of what the government knew and he didn't: the Russians had been growing tons of smallpox for years and loading them in ICBMS aimed at the U.S. It was a terrific betrayal. Big, big question facing us today: When the Russians dismantled their biowarfare program, did anyone get some leftovers? So now the entire world, completely unvaccinated, is vulnerable to this terrible disease, just as the Aztecs were when a handful of armored Spanish soldiers (and one slave with smallpox) destroyed their entire civilization. In the wargames played with biowarfare using smallpox attacks on American cities, the outcome was not favorable. And at the end, players were using ancient techniques because the vaccine had quickly run out: arm-to-arm vaccination, variolation, the goal at that point just being to save as many people as possible. This book tells how to do those easy and old techniques. History, descriptions, facts, transmittal, symptoms, all you need to know about smallpox should there actually be some out there after all. It is to be hoped that no one will never actually need any of the information in this book. If not, the historical record of the eradication of the disease makes vivid reading in itself.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: This fascinating book is the story of smallpox. Starting with the distant past, the author traces the history of smallpox's relationship with mankind. Then, the book goes into luxurious detail on the World Health Organization's campaign to stamp smallpox out. But, just when it seems that the story should be over, it takes an ominous turn when the author begins chronicling the Soviet Union's nightmarish program of breeding smallpox as a weapon. This horrendous project is traced from its genesis after World War 2, through the use of modern genetic splicing to enhance the disease's lethality under Mikhail Gorbachev, to its continuance even after the fall of the Soviet Union. This is a fascinating book! Unlike some books I've read recently, this one dragged me along, keeping me up at night when I could not put it down. As I know little about the topic, I appreciated the way the author made the whole subject clear to me, educating me while keeping me entranced. Overall I would say that this is a great book, one well worth the cost. I highly recommend it!
| 
