First published 2002
Richard Preston examines America's biodefense efforts following the October 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people and terrorized the nation. The book centers on Peter Jahrling, the lead virologist at USAMRIID, the Army's infectious disease research facility at Fort Detrick, Maryland. Jahrling holds top secret clearance and faces an urgent mission: creating effective treatments against smallpox before terrorists can weaponize the virus. Though officially eradicated in 1979, smallpox samples exist in two secure laboratories in Atlanta and Siberia. Intelligence suggests hostile nations like Iraq and North Korea possess illegal stocks, while scientists fear genetic engineering could produce vaccine-resistant strains. Preston documents the government's response to the anthrax letters sent to New York and Washington offices, detailing the FBI investigation and interviews with agents and Dr. Steven Hatfill. The narrative follows Jahrling's team as they conduct dangerous live virus experiments at the CDC, working against time to prevent a biological catastrophe that could dwarf the original anthrax attacks.
Genres: medical, american, crime, action, 21st-century, current-affairs, history-of-science, american-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: race-against-time, urgent-mission
Setting: Atlanta, Fort Detrick, Maryland, New York, Siberia, Washington
Period: 2001
304 pages · Kindle Edition · Random House
Content warnings: death, violence