The Greatest Killer - by Donald R Hopkins (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published as Princes and peasants, 1983.

Book Synopsis

Once known as the "great fire" or "spotted death," smallpox has been rivaled only by plague as a source of supreme terror. Although naturally occurring smallpox was eradicated in 1977, recent terrorist attacks in the United States have raised the possibility that someone might craft a deadly biological weapon from stocks of the virus that remain in known or perhaps unknown laboratories.

In The Greatest Killer, Donald R. Hopkins provides a fascinating account of smallpox and its role in human history. Starting with its origins 10,000 years ago in Africa or Asia, Hopkins follows the disease through the ancient and modern worlds, showing how smallpox removed or temporarily incapacitated heads of state, halted or exacerbated wars, and devastated populations that had never been exposed to the disease. In Hopkins's history, smallpox was one of the most dangerous-and influential-factors that shaped the course of world events.

From the Back Cover

Once known as the "great fire" or "spotted death," smallpox has been rivaled only by plague as a source of supreme terror. Although naturally occurring smallpox was eradicated in 1977, recent terrorist attacks in the United States have raised the possibility that someone might craft a deadly biological weapon from stocks of the virus that remain in known or perhaps unknown laboratories.

In The Greatest Killer, Donald R. Hopkins provides a fascinating account of smallpox and its role in human history. Starting with its origins 10,000 years ago in Africa or Asia, Hopkins follows the disease through the ancient and modern worlds, showing how smallpox removed or temporarily incapacitated heads of state, halted or exacerbated wars, and devastated populations that had never been exposed to the disease. In Hopkins's history, smallpox was one of the most dangerous--and influential--factors that shaped the course of world events.

Review Quotes

"Donald R. Hopkins has written an encyclopedic account of smallpox's role in human history. He has brought to this effort dedicated scholarship, firsthand knowledge of smallpox gained in both Asia and Africa, and a scientist's precision in organizing and presenting an enormous corpus of information in an orderly and comprehensible fashion."--Pascal James Imperato "Natural History"

"Nowhere else that I know is there to be found such a compact account of smallpox in all five continents and of its impact on the history of each. . . . I found it a sobering and broadening experience to be exposed to Hopkins's story--there will be few people who would not benefit from reading it."--Keith Dumbell "Nature"

About the Author

Donald R. Hopkins, M.D., is an associate executive director of The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta. He is a former deputy and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a physician who participated in the World Health Organization's Smallpox Eradication Program. The first edition of this book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1983.