A story of senseless destruction, patriotism, and grit against all odds focuses on the people of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol who stayed to defend their home against Russian forces, which came with a devastating price.

Beginning with smallpox-perhaps humankind's greatest affliction to date-and concluding with an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown traces the evolution of vaccines and examines deadly diseases such as measles, polio, anthrax, rabies, cholera, and influenza. The book is narrated by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who historically popularized inoculation in England in the early 18th century. Brown covers the science behind how our immune systems work,...

Presents an account of the events of the influenza epidemic of 1918, detailing the exceptionally violent spread of the disease worldwide and what made it so deadly.