Traces the impact on American history of yellow fever from the mid-seventeenth century onward, examining in particular the near-destruction of Memphis from the disease and the efforts of four men to combat the deadly scourge.

Originally published: New York : Berkley Books, 2006.

The American plague -- Memphis, 1878. Carnival ; Bright canary yellow ; The doctors ; A city of corpses ; The destroying angel ; Greatly exaggerated ; The Havana Commission ; Reparations -- Cuba, 1900. A splendid little war ; Siboney ; An unlikely hero ; A meeting of minds ; The Yellow Fever Commission ; Insects ; Vivisection ; Did the mosquito do it? ; Guinea pig no. 1 ; Camp Lazear ; A new century ; Blood ; The etiology of yellow fever ; Retribution ; The mosquito -- United States, present day. Epidemic ; A return to Africa ; The vaccine ; History repeats itself ; Epilogue : Elmwood.