The Empress and the English Doctor

This is a wonderful book. It tells the story of the greatest medical discovery before Pasteur, inoculation against smallpox, through the life of a Quaker doctor, Thomas Dimsdale, and his journey to Russia to treat Catherine the Great… It’s a long time since I’ve read a history book as beautifully constructed as this - it’s a remarkable achievement.

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!

(A) vivid and well-told story... Catherine the Great of Russia’s decision to get both herself and her son inoculated certainly resonates in these contagious times.

Timely and engaging… A truly fascinating book that reads like a thriller.

Mirroring so many of the vaccination issues of our modern age, as well as those of bodily autonomy, feminism, and power…a must-read.

A fascinating and beautifully told story about courageous vaccination pioneers.

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.

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.

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”.

Fairytale sleigh rides, royal palaces and heroic risk-taking by an enlightened empress — this sparkling history is a timely reminder of the best of Russia.

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.