Plague Wars: The Terrifying Reality of Biological Warfare (Paperback)

by Tom Mangold (Author), Jeff Goldberg (Author) "In 1998, several Western intelligence services organized a practical war game that was held at a North American airport..." (more)
Key Phrases: offensive biological warfare programme, plague warriors, explosive test chamber, South Africa, New York, Project Coast (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Fascinating . . . An excellent and timely introduction to this alarming subject."—Washington Times

“Plague Wars is able to cut a straight and well-focused path through the
technical jargon, spook-speak, and speculative doomsday scenarios, and will educate [those] readers who have, until now, only caught glimpses of the germ warfare crowd toiling in the shadows.”—Hil Anderson, UPI
-- Review

Review

"Fascinating . . . An excellent and timely introduction to this alarming subject."—Washington Times

“Plague Wars is able to cut a straight and well-focused path through the
technical jargon, spook-speak, and speculative doomsday scenarios, and will educate [those] readers who have, until now, only caught glimpses of the germ warfare crowd toiling in the shadows.”—Hil Anderson, UPI

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (April 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312263791
• ISBN-13: 978-0312263799
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #540,494 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plague Wars, May 1, 2000

By	Prauge Traveler (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plague Wars: The Terrifying Reality of Biological Warfare (Hardcover)

Tom Mangold and Jeff Goldberg have written a great book. From the fields of WW2 till the UNSCOM inspectors in Iraq, the curtains have been lifted on the horrific topic of biological weapons and their development. This book belongs on the same shelf as Laurie Garrett's "The Coming Plague"; only this is even more frightening. Where "The Coming Plague" details the natural occurance of viral outbreaks and bacterial infections- and the individuals involved with their containment, "Plague Wars" delves into humanity's dark attempts to harness these powers and apply them not to heal, but to kill. You need not be an expert in biology to understand this, and Mangold and Goldberg have a highly accessable writing style. The chapters vary from a journalistic perspective to factual story telling that uses the participant's own words whenever possible. The major topics of include the Cold War until the BWC of 1972, then the Soviet Union's disregard of that document, South Africa, Iraq and finally the future of BW. All of these areas are well researched and fascinating. The masterminds behind the programs of South Africa and the USSR will become names that you will not forget. These are some very bad people.

One weak point is the reliance on "Confidential Interviews" as a source in the footnotes. This is explained in the begining as protecting sources that might otherwise be endangered. Still, it is frustrating.

It is claimed by experts, quoted in this book, that a major biological attack on a large US city should be expected within 10 to 15 years. Considering the lack of preparation that is apparent in most cities, this is a very scary thought. For as you will learn, once a biological attack has been unleashed it is already too late.

Reading this book has left me believing that what we need is to create a highly proficient BW team that can, if possible, stop an attack before it begins- going on the offensive rather than defensive.

"Plague Wars" is an excellent work.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of non-US BW programs, October 12, 2000

By	C. Broberg "cbroberg" (CHICO, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Plague Wars: The Terrifying Reality of Biological Warfare (Hardcover)

This book provides a brief history of modern biological warfare from its creation by Japanese Unit 731 during WWII through the BWC and Russia's subsequent violation of that treaty. Deals with the programs used by South Africa, Iraq, and others, giving a political background into the programs as well as the chronology.

Includes the text of the biological weapons convention (BWC), as well as brief descriptions of some of the main bacteria, viruses and toxins employed in this form of warfare.

Overall a good read for anyone looking for basic knowledge on the subject. For detail on the history of the US program, read "the Biology of Doom", and for the Russian program, "Biohazard" by Ken Alibek.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another briiliant piece of Mangold investigation, November 10, 2001

By	C. Forrester (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Plague Wars: The Terrifying Reality of Biological Warfare (Hardcover)

Even if you have no interest in the world of biological warfare, Mangold's deep and thorough investigative technique surfaces again. This book details the biological warfare efforts of a range of countries, such as Japan, Russia, South Africa and Iraq, as well as the Aum Shinrikyo cult and their sarin (albeit a chemical agent) attack on the Tokyo subway. Not advisable to read in conjunction with or shortly after Alibek's "Biohazard," as a large portion is devoted to the Russian weapons programme-meaning you'll skim through maybe 150 pages (but read them both anyway). I found the strong points of this book lay in its investigation and interviews of countries that would normally be difficult to research, such as South Africa. Low points-it does require a fairly concerted effort and can become a little dense at times, as well as needing fairly constant revision on Iraq and South Africa.