The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus
Zoomicon-zoom-in
The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus

The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus

By
Lucy Ward (Author)  

Hardback

In Stock

Quantity
A TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022 SO FAR Shortlisted for the Pushkin House Book Prize 2022 'Sparkling history...with a fairytale atmosphere of sleigh rides, royal palaces and heroic risk-taking' The Times A killer virus...an all-powerful Empress...an encounter cloaked in secrecy...the astonishing true story. Within living memory, smallpox was a dreaded disease. Over human history it has killed untold millions. Back in the eighteenth century, as epidemics swept Europe, the first rumours emerged of an effective treatment: a mysterious method called inoculation. But a key problem remained: convincing people to accept the preventative remedy, the forerunner of vaccination. Arguments raged over risks and benefits, and public resistance ran high. As smallpox ravaged her empire and threatened her court, Catherine the Great took the momentous decision to summon the Quaker physician Thomas Dimsdale to St Petersburg to carry out a secret mission that would transform both their lives. Lucy Ward expertly unveils the extraordinary story of Enlightenment ideals, female leadership and the fight to promote science over superstition. 'A rich and wonderfully urgent work of history' Tristram Hunt
Lucy Ward is a writer and former journalist for the Guardian and Independent. As a Westminster Lobby correspondent, she campaigned for greater women's representation. From 2010-12, she lived with her family in Moscow, renewing her interest in Russian history. After growing up in Manchester, she studied Early and Middle English at Balliol College, Oxford. She now lives in Essex.
  • Contributor: Lucy Ward
  • Imprint: Oneworld Publications
  • ISBN13: 9780861542451
  • Number of Pages: 352
  • Packaged Dimensions: 153x234x30mm
  • Format: Hardback
  • Publisher: Oneworld Publications
  • Release Date: 2022-04-07
  • Binding: Hardback
  • Biography: Lucy Ward is a writer and former journalist for the Guardian and Independent. As a Westminster Lobby correspondent, she campaigned for greater women's representation. From 2010-12, she lived with her family in Moscow, renewing her interest in Russian history. After growing up in Manchester, she studied Early and Middle English at Balliol College, Oxford. She now lives in Essex.

Delivery Options

Home Delivery

Store Delivery

Free Returns

We hope you are delighted with everything you buy from us. However, if you are not, we will refund or replace your order up to 30 days after purchase. Terms and exclusions apply; find out more from our Returns and Refunds Policy.