‘[A] sparkling history book with a fairytale atmosphere of sleigh rides, royal palaces and heroic risk-taking… This is exactly the book we need to read at the moment.’
The Empress and the English Doctor
How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus
Lucy WardA TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022 SO FAR
‘Sparkling history…with a fairytale atmosphere of sleigh rides, royal palaces and heroic risk-taking’ The Times
‘It is hard to imagine a more timely or important book… a must-read’ Jojo Moyes
A killer virus…an all-powerful Empress…an encounter cloaked in secrecy…the astonishing true story.
Within living memory, smallpox was a dreaded disease. Over human history it has killed untold millions. Back in the eighteenth century, as epidemics swept Europe, the first rumours emerged of an effective treatment: a mysterious method called inoculation.
But a key problem remained: convincing people to accept the preventative remedy, the forerunner of vaccination. Arguments raged over risks and benefits, and public resistance ran high. As smallpox ravaged her empire and threatened her court, Catherine the Great took the momentous decision to summon the Quaker physician Thomas Dimsdale to St Petersburg to carry out a secret mission that would transform both their lives. Lucy Ward expertly unveils the extraordinary story of Enlightenment ideals, female leadership and the fight to promote science over superstition.
‘A rich and wonderfully urgent work of history’ Tristram Hunt
Reviews
The Times
‘Informative, enthusiastically written and based on thorough research.’
BBC History Magazine
‘This gripping account of her deep friendship with an English doctor — and their battle to save the Russian people from the scourge of smallpox — shows [Catherine the Great] in an entirely different light.’
Daily Mail
‘Mirroring so many of the vaccination issues of our modern age, as well as those of bodily autonomy, feminism, and power…a must-read.’
Jojo Moyes
‘Timely and engaging… A truly fascinating book that reads like a thriller.’
Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel laureate and former president of the Royal Society
‘Lucy Ward has zoomed in on one of the more dramatic episodes in that dramatic century… vivid.’
Economist
‘An enthralling tale of two remarkable personalities who risked all for the benefit of mankind, and of a struggle between medical science and human instinct that could not be more relevant today.’
Adam Zamoyski
‘A rich and wonderfully urgent work of history which engagingly recounts one of the greatest moments in modern science and public health: a story of Enlightenment conviction, Court intrigue, Anglo-Russian relations, and timeless, personal bravery. An expertly recounted eighteenth-century tale of political leadership and medical progress with obvious insights for today.’
Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum
‘So meticulously researched, well-paced and finely written is this tale of medical drama and royal daring that one quickly forgets that it is Lucy Ward’s first book. Her story is a remarkable one, full of contemporary resonance, but fascinating in its own right… a real page-turner.’
Matthew D’Ancona, Tortoise
‘In this fluent and enlightening account of the fight to eradicate the terrifying scourge of smallpox, Ward deftly describes how an English Quaker doctor, Thomas Dimsdale, played a crucial role as a pioneer of the new technique of inoculation… The Empress and the English Doctor is a gripping read and all the more timely and extraordinary for having been written in the midst of the Covid pandemic.’
Dr Helen Rappaport, bestselling author and historian
‘This is a fascinating and meticulously researched book with the excitement of a thriller. It’s a remarkable story of female leadership and personal courage. Lucy Ward uses her brilliance as a narrator combined with her insight as a former Lobby journalist to bring to life one of history’s most powerful women who really did “follow the science”.’
Harriet Harman MP
‘Packed with political intrigue and scientific insight, this is a fascinating narrative revealing how early inoculation pioneers overcame superstition, prejudice and misinformation. Move forward more than two centuries and the parallels with the current Covid-19 pandemic are incredible!’
Jonathan Ball, professor of virology, University of Nottingham
Lucy Ward
Lucy Ward is a writer and former journalist for the Guardian and Independent. As a Westminster Lobby correspondent, she campaigned for greater women’s representation. From 2010–12, she lived with her family in Moscow, renewing her interest in Russian history. After growing up in Manchester, she studied Early and Middle English at Balliol College, Oxford. She now lives in Essex.
Author page
