Bøger af James A Shaw

Historical Diseases from a Modern Perspective: The American Experience is a must read for any student of history or fan of historical novels. Every disease section contains fascinating historical insights relevant to the American experience, including how the 1900 outbreak of plague in San Franciso was contained, why the flow of the Chicago River was reversed, why "chicken pox parties" were once common, how the scourge of yellow fever was abated, and why poor southerners were once considered lazy and shiftless. Those readers interested in military history will learn how smallpox impacted troop strength in the Revolutionary War, dysentery in the Civil War, influenza in WWI, malaria in WWII, and sexually transmitted diseases across all wars. The social history of alcohol and opioid use is outlined as is the pre-antibiotic treatment of syphilis and gonorrhea, giving rise to the quip, "A night with Venus and a lifetime with mercury, " and the nickname "clap."The use of anthrax as a tool of bioterrorism, the debilitating effects of scurvy, and the horror of leprosy are all discussed, along with multiple other diseases of historical interest. The text begins by outlining historical theories of disease causation, prevention and cure, to provide a contextual understanding for the reader. The ensuing chapters describe how historical diseases acquired their traditional monikers (Spanish flu, ship fever, ague, blue death, breakbone fever, scarlet fever, etc.) and how they were treated before the era of modern medicine. Emphasis is placed on the impact of disease outbreaks on society and how the understanding, treatment, and prevention of these diseases developed over time. The threat of historical disease reemergence due to waning vaccine immunities, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance and climate change is noted as a subtext throughout the book - a peril of global concern at this time. The book covers a large array of historical diseases, grouped for clarity and understanding within the broad categories of contagious diseases, vector-borne/zoonotic diseases, fecal-oral diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, substance use disorders, parasitic diseases, nutritional diseases, fungal diseases, and soil-related bacterial diseases.

Unsung Heroes is a war-focused biography of World War II pilots, Major Montgomery H. Throop, Jr. and Major Howard H. Brigham. Assembled from military documents, letters home and autobiographical notes, the book recounts the first-person thoughts and experiences of the two pilots within the historical context of major events in the European and Pacific Theaters and detailed histories of the two heralded units for which they flew - the "Mighty Eighth" and the "Air Apaches." Major Throop was a fighter pilot with the Eighth Air Force, flying Spitfires with the RAF, P-47 Thunderbolts with the 4th Fighter Group and P-51 Mustangs with the 357th Fighter Group in the European Theater. Major Brigham was B-25 pilot with the 345th Bomb Group of the 5th Air Force in the South Pacific. Both pilots served throughout a majority of the United States' involvement in World War II, compiling 81 and 56 combat missions, respectively.

B&W Edition: While the Civil War commandeered the thoughts and emotions of most Americans and much of the world, and cost the lives of thousands of U.S. citizens, life outside the fields of battle went on with a degree of normalcy in many respects, both here and abroad. This short book provides a snapshot of "What Else Happened" - politically, socially and scientifically - during the American Civil War era.During the carnage of war, who would have realized that Congress was hard at work passing progressive civil legislation - unrelated to the war - with longstanding impact on life within the United States? Who would have appreciated that thousands of laborers were simultaneously slaving on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad or building a new roof for the Capitol Building? Who would have known that soldiers were contracting venereal disease in epidemic proportions, women were exploring birth control methods, and alcoholism and opium addiction were afflicting the lives of many?While Americans were fighting to dissolve the Union, who would have reflected that Canadians were negotiating to strengthen their confederation - in large part to protect themselves from U.S. aggression - or the French were engaged in an imperialistic overthrow of the Mexican Government?While American ingenuity was devising new and more efficient methods of killing each other, who would have considered that the rest of the world was peacefully admiring the advancements in technology on display at the International Exposition of 1862 in London, England? Or, who would have predicted the enormous impact of kerosene lighting on the quality of life and fortunes of American citizens?While Atlanta was being burned, who would have stopped to think that Paris was being entirely rebuilt and the Suez Canal was being constructed? While disease and infection were ravaging Civil War soldiers, who would have paused to ponder the great advances in medicine and science that were being made in Europe?A brief discussion of these and many more topics are included in the book, as well as an introductory chapter outlining the major trigger points leading up to the American Civil War and a short chronology of the war, itself.Both color (ISBN: 9798586981813) and B&W (ISBN: 9798558270495) versions of the book are available for purchase.