Paralysed with Fear: The Story of Polio

Polio, with its haunting images of disabled children and the iron lung, was one of the iconic diseases of the 20th century. In the 1950s, only the atomic bomb frightened Americans more than this debilitating scourge which could break into any home and paralysis or kill a healthy child. Now, vaccination has pushed polio to the brink of extinction - but its complete eradication may still elude us. Mankind's struggle to defeat polio was one of the grand challenges of modern medicine. It was also a battleground between good and bad science, powerful personalities and warring ideologies. The result is a compelling story, rich in twists and paradoxes. Gareth Williams takes an original and uncompromising view of our journey with polio, from the first descriptions of 'morning paralysis' to the no-holds-barred race to develop a vaccine and the front line of today's eradication campaign. Paralysed With Fear is the first comprehensive history of polio for over forty years. It is an enthralling story which will grip the reader from beginning to end. -- Book Jacket