Phantom Plague

“What makes Ms. Krishnan’s book worth the price of admission is the tableau she paints of the current plague. She writes with authority about the current state of TB globally, especially in her native India, which is the epicenter of the disease today. A 20‑year veteran of medical journalism, Ms. Krishnan is a powerful storyteller, and her accounts of frustration, suffering, grief and resilience are moving.”—Wall Street Journal

“A powerful look at the social determinants of health, and the lasting imprint of colonialism and segregation on public health.”—Nature

“An interesting, easy read.”—Washington Post

“At its best, Krishnan’s writing is clear and compelling, and the book is a worthy read for anyone interested in public health and infectious diseases.”—New York Times Book Review

“A hard‑hitting, fast‑paced tour…Once started, it’s hard to put the book down.”—Harvard Public Health Magazine

“Strong, compelling and addictive… It is literary nonfiction at its best.”—Irish Times

“Phantom Plague is a fascinating tale of humankind’s determined struggle against one of its most dreaded illnesses – overcoming science denialism, medical apartheid, and other prejudices.”—Scroll.in

“Every so often, you get books which are warm enough to make the scales of jadedness drop from your eyes. One such book is Phantom Plague. If you want to read only one book on the TB crisis foisted upon the world’s citizenry, this is it.”—MoneyControl

“Phantom Plague: How Tuberculosis Shaped History is a compelling journey into a history of medicine, current development of tuberculosis epidemiology and treatment, and global health authored by Vidya Krishnan, a prominent medical science reporter.”—The Lancet

“In her new book Phantom Plague, investigative journalist Vidya Krishnan gives a forceful and articulate account of humanity’s ongoing face‑off with TB.”—PLOS Blog

“Each entry is thought provoking enough to keep the reader circling back again and again.”—Choice

“Skillful storytelling.”—Down to Earth

“The book includes fascinating digressions.”—New York Review of Books

“A penetrating social history of a virulent disease… A timely, significant analysis of the dire consequences of public health failures.”—Kirkus (Starred)

“Shot through with tragic and inspiring stories of patients and doctors who have battled against the disease, this is a bracing look at what might be the next public health catastrophe.”—Publishers Weekly

“At a time when the world is paralyzed by a virus that mutates and resists modern medical interventions, Vidya Krishnan’s sobering account of the return of tuberculosis is timely. As she notes, the world is vastly different from lab conditions, and distinctions of wealth, race, class, caste, and inequities and imbalances of power and accountability clash, delaying interventions, denying access, and destroying lives. With lucidity and passion, wisdom and compassion, expertise and curiosity, she demystifies the science, revealing how human frailties and arrogance are letting the disease prevail. That the sickness is not physical, but goes beyond that, suggests how difficult the path ahead is going to be.”

“In Phantom Plague, journalist Vidya Krishnan has written an engaging and informative account of the history of TB and other infectious diseases and their impact on humanity. Anyone with an interest in how microbes and politics contribute to inequality and sickness should read this book.”—Johnjoe McFadden, University of Surrey