The coronavirus pandemic has shown that, despite the development of medicine, we are defenseless against the new virus. This is not the first time the world has faced such challenges. Just over 100 years ago, the Spanish flu killed many more people than in World War I. Readers will find much that is familiar in historian John Barry's book. The lies and cowardice of politicians and officials, the heroism and desperate enthusiasm of scientists and doctors, the fear and panic of ordinary people - all these are signs of the present time. You will see how the world was not ready to fight two wars at the same time - with each other and with a deadly virus that, like enemy bullets, killed, first of all, the youngest and strongest. But this book is also a hymn to science, a hymn to medicine: it represents is not only a vivid and exciting description of the fight against the pandemic, but also a gallery of portraits of people in science, doctors, and politicians. In the future, humanity will have to face unknown diseases more than once, so it is necessary to learn well the lessons of the past so as not to repeat previous mistakes.