The Plague Race : A Tale of Fear, Science and Heroism

by Edward Marriott

An inspiring story of scientific endeavour and human bravery, "The Plague Race" is the story of one brave scientist who made an amazing discovery made in Hong Kong 100 years ago - during an outbreak of the plague that threatened to decimate the island and, from there, the world. A tense and frightening race was run in appalling conditions by two rival Alexandre Yersin - rigorous, solitary, cerebral - and the suave Kitasako, unscrupulous, enigmatic, careless. Spiced with anecdotes, facts and chilling reconstructions, this book is an enthralling work of narrative history. And Marriott's investigations into plague in the modern world bring some disturbing facts to light. 'Beautifully written ...Marriott's discourse encompasses empire, science and discovery as well as prejudice..."The Plague Race" is part history, part thesis, part thriller. As an investigation, it is all-entrancing' - "Observer".

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medicine, Science, Historical

Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Ihsan Dinç · Rating 5 out of 5]

İt seems that Edward Marriot has predicted what would happen today. The scientific competition of a French and Japanese scientist about discovering the origins of the Plague is quite prophetic. Marriot tells us the development of a kind of Pandemia in time starting in 1894 in Hong Kong, ( reminding us of King Kong) and spreading in time to California (1900) Surat, İndia ( 1994) and finally reaching New York. Now we are facing everything together everywhere. Reading Marriot is like reading the French anticipation writer Jules Verne

[David Gagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating piece of narrative history focussing initially on the outbreak of plague in Hong Kong in the 1890s and the so-called race to identify the cause and discover a cure. The main protagonists are the Japanese scientist Kitasato and the French bacteriologist Yersin. Marriott uses anecdotes and more recent observations mixed with historical events to bring this subject to life.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fascinating subject. However an atrociously written book. Jumps around in time confusingly. Even within one time period the writing is unclear.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is both fascinating and kind of a shambles. It starts out telling the story of the 1894 plague outbreak in Hong Kong and the competition between a French doctor and a Japanese doctor to discover the bacteria that causes the plague. But then it starts talking about a 1994 plague outbreak in India before heading back to Hong Kong before deviating to discuss a plague outbreak in Madagascar during the second half of the twentieth century. Back to Hong Kong. Back to India. Back to Hong Kong. Over to San Francisco and the plague outbreak that followed the earthquake and fire of 1906. And then for some reason, there's a big discussion of the danger New York would face if plague ever broken out there?? Oh, and there's mention of Hiroshima and the fear that plague would break out in 1945 because somehow all the rats survived the nuclear explosion. And then we're back in India again.

Don't get me wrong, all the pieces of the story were really interesting. But good LORD did it jump around all over the place. And the lack of references made me a little dubious about some of the content. I mean, surely if you're quoting from journals and newspaper articles and letters, there should be references involved?! Right? Right. I'm still not sure if the individuals we're introduced to regarding the 1994 plague in India were actual people or characters that Marriott invented to portray the story.

That said, it serves as a chilling reminder that plague - with increasingly drug resistant strains - is still a threat today. So...yeah.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and thought-provoking, this story is both fascinating from a historical perspective and interesting for our present. Do medical researchers still face the same bureaucratic red-tape and competitiveness today? Could another uncontrollable plague epidemic be possible, are we due? I love books which broaden the mind, and this one inspires me to research more on the plague and on Yersin. Some references or a citation index, and more photographs and archival documents would have lifted this book to a five star for me.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equal parts thrilling and disturbing. An absorbing account of the race to demystify the origins of one of the world's most deadly diseases between two rival scientists in the late 1800's. Totally fascinating and thought-provoking. One of those reality-check reads.

[Stephen Orth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced account of hubris and persistence. And a sobering reminder that Bubonic plague is still with us today.