William H. Foege, Senior Fellow at the Gates Foundation, has held a succession of distinguished positions, including Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Professor and Health Policy Fellow at Emory University. Before becoming director of the CDC, he was chief of its Smallpox Eradication Program. Foege is the author of Global Health Leadership and Management.

• List of Illustrations Foreword by Carmen Hooker Odom and Samuel L. Milbank Foreword by David J. Sencer Preface Part One. Africa: Identifying the Key Strategy 1. A Loathsome Disease 2. A Succession of Mentors 3. Practicing Public Health in Nigeria 4. Fire Line around a Virus 5. Extinguishing Smallpox in a Time of War Part Two. India: Meeting the Challenge of Eradication 6. Under the Rule of Variola 7. Unwarranted Optimism 8. A Gorgeous Coalition 9. Rising Numbers, Refining Strategy 10. Water on a Burning House 11. Smallpox Zero Conclusion Postscript Appendix: A Plan in the Event of Smallpox Bioterrorism Notes Glossary Index

"Dr. Foege's book ... remind[s] us how fragile life looks." New York Times "Bounces the reader along with him in his jeep, on motorbikes over rugged terrain and on bustling trains... (And) shows what can be accomplished when governments and thousands of health workers focus on a single objective. " Wall Street Journal "[Foege] writes a mixture of memoir, dry public health guide and riveting tale of an all-consuming mission." -- Tiffany O'Callaghan New Scientist "A readable and thorough account by a key player in this outstanding victory for public health." Library Journal "A reminder of the importance of preventive medicine." Jama "A great, quick, and intensely personal read about the inside story of Foege's revolutionary idea and powerful actions... Foege was wise before his time." Medpage Today "Demonstrate[s] the enormous benefit that can accrue to mankind when a determined and ambitious band of individuals come together." The Lancet "Gives an intimate sense of what it is like to work on the ground in some of the world's most impoverished countries -- and tells what it is like to contribute to programs that really do change the world." Scienceblogs.com/The Guardian "Inspiring... A fascinating human interest account that is expertly merged with scientific facts." -- Pascal James Imperato Jrnl Of Community Health "A fascinating account" The Bulletin Of The Royal College Of Pathologists