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Anthrax: The Investigation of a Deadly Outbreak Paperback – December 14, 1999

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

An absorbing first-person account of an investigation into a mysterious 1979 anthrax epidemic in the Soviet Union, the worst ever recorded in a modern industrial nation. Prof. Jeanne Guillemin vividly describes the virulence of anthrax as a biological weapon, raises important issues of accountability, & questions our own country's leadership in arms control. She provides insights into how scientists actually work -- the ceaseless questioning from every conceivable angle whose goal is to eliminate doubt. Guillemin also explores how anthrax is being used in biological warfare from groups as diverse as religious fundamentalists in the Middle East to white supremacists in the U.S. B&W photos.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The great equalizer between humans and sheep, anthrax has filled us with morbid curiosity as far back as records exist. Once believed to be a manifestation of unholy fire, today it is seen as a weapon of deranged terrorists or sinister governments. Medical anthropologist Jeanne Guillemin's Anthrax: The Investigation of a Deadly Outbreak examines the 1979 deaths of 64 Soviet citizens in the Ural mountains. Blamed at the time on tainted meat, Guillemin's team proved that a plume of spores from a nearby military site caused the event (Boris Yeltsin admitted this much at about the same time). Not just a medical detective story, Guillemin's book is also an insightful look into the effects such an outbreak has on survivors and a penetrating analysis of the prospects of biological warfare in the not-too-distant future. Starting in the local cemetery to find the victims' identities--the KGB had long ago seized their records--the team interviews survivors and kin, unleashing long-repressed feelings and yielding valuable information about those struck down. Ultimately, despite interference from the Russian military and civil service, the tainted meat hypothesis is refuted and clear evidence of illegal and dangerous research released. The reader is left to wonder about one Russian's suggestion that if the wind had changed course one day in 1979, hundreds of thousands might have died. Where does that leave us today? ---- Amazon.Com Review

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Univ. of Cal. Press; F First Edition (December 14, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0756769124
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0756769123
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

About the author

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Jeanne Guillemin
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Jeanne Guillemin is a senior fellow in the Security Studies Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the Center for International Studies. Her academic specialty focuses on national security issues involving infectious diseases and in particular the history of biological weapons. Her most recent book is "American Anthrax: Fear, Crime, and the Investigation of the Nation's Deadliest Bioterror Attack" (2012). In 2005 she wrote "Biological Weapons: From State-sponsored Programs to Contemporary Bioterrorism." In 1999, she chronicled her research on the 1979 Sverdlovsk outbreak in "Anthrax: The Investigation of a Deadly Outbreak."

AmericanAnthrax.com

The Massachusetts Center for the Book has listed American Anthrax as a "Must-Read" book for 2012!

http://massbook.org/MassBooks12/booknews2012_optimizedv2.pdf

Read Dr. Guillemin's May 24 2012 letter to the Boston Globe, "A vital institution, Postal Service should be valued."

Read it here: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2012/05/23/vital-institution-postal-service-should-valued/2D8SRX7D7pXQYasO9ZEhpK/story.html

Watch Dr. Guillemin talk about the 2001 Anthrax Attacks at The Library of Congress at the following link.

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5498

Listen to the author in her September 2011 interview with Ireland's Newstalk radio. Click on the link, scroll down, and click on the "Monday September 5: Anthrax and Attractiveness" link.

http://media.newstalk.ie/podcast/56284/?uniqueID=539625

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2000
Jeanne Guillemin's masterful account of the Sverdlovsk outbreak of anthrax in 1979 is a suspenseful medical mystery; a thoughtful analysis of the threats, real and imagined, of bioterrorism; and an intelligent tour of the sociological, political, and psychological ramifications of the event. A very appealing element of the book is the sheer power of the storytelling. We are drawn in by a personable, human, plucky narrator who, as a sociologist, a westerner, a woman, has to navigate the maze of Soviet bureaucracy to reach the human heart of the story. The portraits of those who died in the outbreak are highly detailed and poignant; the book is, in part, a testimony to the specific people who lost their lives as the result of a complex chain of events quite beyond them. I found the book compelling and moving -- a great read.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 1999
We hear with increasing frequency about the use of biological weapons or the threat of their use yet, as laymen, we have no way to evaluate how much danger we may actually be in. And politicians and extremists use this ignorance to their advantage. This book is a landmark. It describes an extremely complex subject in a way that is accessible to any intelligent reader. It reads like a good mystery, full of plot, place, and the nuance of character. An extraordinary achievement.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2008
i read this and graysmith's book on the topic of the anthrax attacks. i found this book to be the better. reading it is like listening to someone describe a spider's web, with it's varying lines, thicknesses, angles, dimensions ... its not easy to fully explore a topic with different sites, characters, and the timelines. the author does more than an adequate job of accomplishing these tasks. with our finest investigative agencies never having publicly resolved this complex case, i felt disappointed when the end of the book came and we hadn't reached a conclusion, either... this is a quick read. given the difference between the current price new ($40.00) and used ($0.01), for the price - used - you can't go wrong.
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2000
Jeanne Guillemin attempts to unravel the complex mystery of the 1979 Siberian outbreak of anthrax. Was it really from tainted meat, as the Soviet officials would have the world believe? Was the cause due to burning of dead anthrax-infected animals or due an accidental or purposeful release of weaponized anthrax spores from the Soviet facility, Compound 19?
Guillemin approaches her study of the events and its root cause following all of the principles of sound science.
As a human being, however, her outrage over this incident continues to surface. As she recounts her investigation she interjects this outrage, often digressing from the story line to vent her indignation.
Unlike a possibly dry standard scientific thesis this story could have turned into, she includes many human elements in her writing. She describes the families of the victims, their losses, and sorrow. She also goes into great detail about what her team ate and drank, the meals they missed, and every possible incident interesting or otherwise about the trip to Siberia. She even includes a description of her inappropriate wearing of sandals for a Siberian spring. The author is writing for a general audience rather than for the scientific community and she or her publisher understands the need for the appealing human element. Sadly this takes the reader away from focusing on the many fascinating scientific and public health aspects of the study that almost become an aside to her story of the quest for information on the victims.
It is a worthwhile, though in parts wordy read. Read in conjunction with "Biohazard", the dark side of science is well represented.
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2000
An exceptional work made possible by thorough investigation. If you have an interest in biological warfare or epidemiology this is a classic. The information fits so well with the information provided by insider Ken Alibek in his book, BIOHAZARD. The conclusions reached are not opinionated or slanted, but solid information based on evidence.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 1999
Although I found this medical mystery fascinating, it was the devasting human suffering and agony that the surviors, relatives, friends, and neighbors endured that made this story touch me deeply. I highly recommend it to all.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Anna D
5.0 out of 5 stars Reality more powerful than fiction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2016
I wanted to learn more about the nature and history of Anthrax – and found myself deeply engrossed in this illuminating account of the 1979 outbreak of anthrax in Russia, surrounded by mystery, conflicting information, complex scientific details, contradictions, the intrigues of international relationships and politics through the 1980s and '90s, and alarming aspects of biological weaponry. All lucidly explained and explored from the angle of an anthropologist working alongside scientists. The personalities of the members of the American investigating team, their Russian hosts and counterparts, together with their translators, all became part of the vividly described contexts and interactions in a complex political scenario. Detective work among the minutiae of scientific data, microscopic examinations, pathologists' assessments and reports, runs alongside the writer's commitment to finding out the personal stories of those individuals who died so swiftly and cruelly, and also the impact on their immediate families, giving a perspective that was completely gripping. The findings are fascinating, shocking and ultimately deeply disturbing. If this were fiction it would seem implausible – but it is not, the quest is for evidence and facts and as such it is a totally rewarding read.
Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars A good Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2017
An important book by someone closely involved