Six Days From Outbreak to Anarchy

Biological War: A Scenario examines how a genetically engineered pathogen could spread from a laboratory accident into a civilization-threatening global emergency. Annie Jacobsen uses a ticking-clock narrative to trace the outbreak through overwhelmed hospitals, government contingency plans, social disorder and institutional collapse.

The central scenario is fictional, with its history, scientific risks and emergency protocols grounded in extensive research and interviews with military, medical, scientific and government experts. The result is a tense, accessible exploration of biological warfare and the systems intended to contain it.

A Career Documenting Hidden Threats

Annie Jacobsen is an investigative journalist known for examining national security, intelligence operations, military technology and classified government programs. Area 51 explored the history surrounding the secretive Nevada facility, while Operation Paperclip investigated America’s recruitment of German scientists after World War II.

The Pentagon’s Brain, a Pulitzer Prize finalist in history, chronicled the development of DARPA. Her later books include Phenomena, Surprise, Kill, Vanish and First Platoon. Biological War follows the narrative approach of her bestselling Nuclear War: A Scenario, applying detailed research to another potential global catastrophe.