Great Secret: The Classified World War II Disaster that Launched the War on Cancer

During World War II, the Luftwaffe bombed Bari, Italy, sinking seventeen ships and killing over a thousand servicemen and hundreds of civilians. The John Harvey was carrying a top-secret cargo of 2,000 mustard bombs to be used in retaliation if the Germans resorted to gas warfare. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Alexander, a doctor and chemical weapons expert, was dispatched to investigate the mysterious deaths of young sailors. He diagnosed mustard gas exposure, which Churchill denied. Alexander's final report was classified, but his breakthrough observations about the toxic effects of mustard on white blood cells caught the attention of Colonel Cornelius P. Rhoads, a pioneering physician and research scientist.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 07 October 2021
Publisher: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press

On the night of December 2, 1943, the Luftwaffe launched a devastating air raid on a critical Allied port in Bari, Italy, resulting in the sinking of seventeen ships and the loss of over a thousand servicemen and hundreds of civilians. Among the targets of the raid was the John Harvey, an American Liberty ship carrying a top-secret cargo of 2,000 mustard bombs, intended to be used in retaliation if the Germans resorted to gas warfare. However, the surprise attack caught the ship off guard, and it was caught in the crossfire.

The incident brought attention to a mysterious illness that was afflicting the young sailors on board the John Harvey. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Alexander, a doctor and chemical weapons expert, was dispatched to investigate the situation. He quickly diagnosed the sailors with mustard gas exposure, a toxic chemical weapon that had been used by the Germans in World War I.

Despite the denial of mustard gas exposure by British officials, Alexander persisted with his investigation. He gathered evidence and conducted experiments that confirmed his diagnosis. His breakthrough observations about the toxic effects of mustard on white blood cells caught the attention of Colonel Cornelius P. Rhoads, a pioneering physician and research scientist.

Rhoads was as brilliant as he was arrogant and self-destructive. He recognized the potential of mustard gas as both a killer and a cure, and he dedicated his life to studying its effects on the human body. He worked tirelessly to develop treatments and therapies for mustard gas survivors, and his work paved the way for a new era of cancer research.

The Great Secret: How a Tragedy Gave Birth to Medical Triumph is a deeply researched and beautifully written book that tells the remarkable story of how the tragedy of the Bari raid led to medical triumph. It explores the scientific and medical developments that followed the incident, and it pays tribute to the brave men and women who risked their lives to investigate and treat the victims of mustard gas exposure.

The book also sheds light on the political and military complexities of the Second World War, and it highlights the role that scientific research played in the ultimate victory of the Allies. It is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and perseverance in the face of adversity, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of never forgetting the sacrifices made in the name of scientific progress.

Weight: 374g
Dimension: 129 x 357 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781611854541
Edition number: Main