Throughout the course of human history, disease and pestilence have killed far more people than wars ever have. It was only within recent decades, however, that political and military leaders have made the conscious decision to utilize disease and pestilence as weapons of war. This book is a history of the chemical and biological arms race, from its beginnings in China and Greece to the gas warfare of World War One, and from the Cold War to the modern conflicts in Iraq and Syria. It also explores the application of modern genetic engineering to warfare, the equipment necessary to defend against chemical/biological weapons, and international efforts to control and eliminate these weapons of mass destruction.--Provided by publisher