James C. Mohr is College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Oregon.

"This fascinating book by James C. Mohr gives a sophisticated and illuminating account of the difficulties that are involved in coping with epidemics or natural disasters."--American Historical Review

"Mohr's study thoroughly describes this landmark even in Hawaii's history and places it directly within the context of its time."--The Hawaiian Journal of History

"Extensive research, sturdy prose, impressive analysis."--Kirkus Reviews

"Compelling....Mohr covers the doctors' best efforts like a detective writer, highlighting the clues they used, and the ones they simply could not have been aware of at the time....The narrative is rich with cultural, political, and economic detail....Opening the door onto the human strengths and shortcomings of the key players turns what could have been a flat textbook into a near-page-turner....More than a century later, Mohr's sharp curiosity has helped convey the significance of this remarkable event to a wide audience."--Boston Globe

"James Mohr is not just content to tell a compelling story. He connects Honolulu's plague and the fire of 1900 to the great themes of the day: empire, race, power, and fear. I am now convinced that disasters are key historical moments when societies reveal their most fundamental truths. It all comes together here."--Elizabeth Fenn, author of Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82

"An excellent work of scholarship and a lively read. Professor Mohr has done exhaustive research in primary sources to document his fascinating tale of public health, politics, and racial relations. The book is a significant contribution to the history of medicine and public health and to American history more broadly."--John Parascandola, author of The Development of American Pharmacology: John J. Abel and the Shaping of a Discipline

"Plague and Fire is a riveting account of why, how and with what consequences physician leaders in Hawaii a century ago assumed emergency health powers. Mohr's themes have contemporary resonance, especially his analysis of the effects of scientific uncertainty on policy, competing perceptions of private interests and the common good, and the potential for public health interventions to become vectors for disaster."--Daniel M. Fox, President, Milbank Memorial Fund