This is the powerful historical account of the worst season of death in American history. Just as American troops were claiming victory in Europe during World War I, a silent killer spread across America and the world. Unable to fight it, the white-coated priests of modern medicine watched helplessly as the plague they called "Spanish influenza" exploded across the world. In America alone, some 25 million people fell ill, and an estimated 675,000 died, all within a few tragic months. Influenza 1918 recounts the story of this crisis in our history. It tells of public officials who waffled and denied the danger, heroes who acted with forceful dedication, neighbors who closed their doors against neighbors, medical researchers whose pursuits led them deeper into the heart of the mystery, and countless volunteers who somehow kept the nation running. - Back cover.