Recounting the Anthrax Attacks, R. Scott Decker
Recounting the Anthrax Attacks, R. Scott Decker
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Recounting the Anthrax Attacks
Terror, the Amerithrax Task Force, and the Evolution of Forensics in the FBI

Author: R. Scott Decker

Narrator: L.J. Ganser

Unabridged: 10 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/28/2019


Synopsis

It was September 18, 2001, just seven days after al-Qaeda hijackers destroyed the Twin Towers. In the early morning darkness, a lone figure dropped several letters into a mailbox. Seventeen days later a Florida journalist died of inhalational anthrax. The death from the rare disease made world news. These anthrax attacks marked the first time a sophisticated biological weapon was released in the United States. It killed five people, disfigured at least 18 more, and launched the largest investigation in the FBI's history.

Recounting the Anthrax Attacks explores the origins of the innovative forensics used in this case, while also explaining their historical context. R. Scott Decker's team pursued its first suspect with dogged determination before realizing that the evidence did not add up. With renewed energy, they turned to non–traditional forensics—scientific initiatives never before applied to an investigation—as they continued to hunt for clues. These advances formed the new science of microbial forensics, a novel discipline that produced critical leads when traditional methods failed. The new technologies helped identify a second suspect—one who possessed the knowledge and skills to unleash a living weapon of mass destruction.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Yibbie on July 05, 2019

I had a hard time putting this book down. It was fascinating. Do you remember the terror of the Anthrax attacks? I do, vividly. This book very carefully chronicles the subsequent investigations and the eventual solution. It is easy to follow despite the complexity of both the investigation and the......more

Goodreads review by Reader on December 20, 2018

Reviewed by Robert Leon Davis for Reader Views (12/18) Soon after that fateful and sad day of September 11, 2001, now known as 9/11, the terror on the people of the United States didn’t cease, as a hidden terror began. Weeks after 9/11, a then unknown perpetrator began sending anthrax-laced letters t......more

Goodreads review by Ann Lersch Lewis on February 15, 2021

Detailed and fascinating This is a very detailed, painstakingly careful explanation of every aspect, including the science, old fashioned detective work, many agencies involved, and complex challenges of investigating the 2001 anthrax mailings. The reader is struck by how quickly we have forgotten ab......more

Goodreads review by Ann on April 08, 2021

Interesting to read all that went on behind the scenes after the anthrax attacks compared to what I remember hearing/reading about in the news. Pretty incredible the time, effort, and resources that went into this investigation, and how competent the FBI is is finding the resources to meet their nee......more

Goodreads review by Colin on July 28, 2024

A real-life thriller, R. Scott Decker’s RECOUNTING THE ANTHRAX ATTACKS details the massive investigation into the 2001 anthrax mailings. The amount of government agencies and private companies that responded to these attacks was amazing. Coordinating them to find the person responsible was a Hercule......more