"With clarity and foresight, The Eleventh Plague

warns of the disastrous potential of biological weapons.

It should be read by all who want to understand the

fears behind the headlines."

--Marie Chevrier, Senior Research Fellow.

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University

Book Description

        A small kitchen, $10,000 in equipment, some germs ordered by mail. That's all it takes to develop a biological weapons arsenal that could kill millions. Chemical weapons are almost as easy to develop--one drop of sarin nerve gas can kill within minutes of skin contact or inhalation of its vapors.

        The Eleventh Plague deals with a terrifying and compelling subject: biological and chemical warfare. Leonard Cole vividly describes the very real threat of these deadly weapons being unleashed and the range of possible responses. Included are examinations of the Iraq's potential for using chemical weapons in the Gulf War, and of the possibility that the so-called Gulf War Syndrome may have been due to biological or chemical weapons--a possibility that federal investigations have yet to confirm or disprove.

        The Eleventh Plague arms us with a frightening knowledge. What do recent political and technical developments suggest for the future? And how will we fight this increasingly ominous, deadly plague?
       

Reviews

        Cole's survey is a terrifying reminder of how defenseless civilians and military alike are against chemical and biological weapons. It concentrates on two main subjects: the U.S. military's now-defunct chemical-biological program and Iraq's present arsenal. In the U.S., revelations have been made of accidents and willful releasings of toxic agents on the citizenry; Cole collates those reports chronologically. He also recounts his efforts to expose the situation of a possibly anthrax-infected building in Maryland. As for Iraq, Cole's text essentially derives from extant books and articles; for instance, it quotes extensively from Israeli press accounts of Iraq's 1991 missile attacks on the Jewish state. The fact that chemical-biological attack loomed over Tel Aviv and was actually perpetrated in Tokyo by terrorists underscores, Cole says, the erosion of an "ethos of repugnance" that he hopes to help restore. Although this book has its limitations, it provides more information on its subject than any TV story could. --Booklist Magazine , October 15, 1996

       

        I found the book fascinating reading. Overall, The Eleventh Plague effectively provides a unique entree into the secretive world of chemical and biological warfare and the inept politics of governments trying to deal with this emerging threat.

        The Eleventh Plague deals with a terrifying and compelling subject: biological and chemical warfare. Using historical and contemporary examples, Cole explains what biological and chemical weapons are, how they are developed and tested, and what their effects can be. He vividly describes the very real threat that Iraq would use chemical weapons in the Gulf War - real enough that every man, woman, and child in Israel had to wear a gas mask. He also analyzes the possibility that the so-called Gulf War syndrome may have been due to biological or chemical weapons, a possibility that federal investigations have yet to confirm or disprove. Cole lucidly describes the wide range of possible responses to the threat of biological or chemical warfare. But every expert admits that absolute protection may be impossible. Materials can be easy to get, even easier to transport, and virtually impossible to trace. The Eleventh Plague arms us with a frightening knowledge. What do recent political and technical developments suggest for the future? And how will we fight this increasingly ominous, deadly plague? --The Journal of the American Medical Association, January 14, 1998

About the Author

        Leonard A. Cole is a political scientist at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ. He is a recognized authority in science and public policy, with a special expertise in policy concerning biological and chemical warfare, radon, and various health issues.

        Cole's writings have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Christian Science Monitor, The Nation, and The Sciences. His most recent books are Element of Risk: The Politics of Radon, and Clouds of Secrecy: The Army's Germ Warfare Tests Over Populated Areas. He has been cited in news and feature stories around the world and appeared numerous times on network and public television. Cole has also been invited to make presentations to the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Utah, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has testified at congressional hearings, and frequently has been consulted about science policy issues by members of Congress and their staffs.

        Cole holds degrees in political science from the University of California at Berkeley (B.A. with highest honors, 1961) and Columbia University, (M.A., 1965; Ph.D., 1970). Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and awarded a George Wood Scholarship at the University of California, Cole has been a recipient of an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was a visiting research scholar at the University of Helsinki (1991), and a Rockefeller Foundation Scholar-in-Residence at Bellagio, Italy (1996). In 1988, Cole was cited by Resolution of the New Jersey Senate for academic accomplishment and community service.