What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sweeping Wind: A Memoir
http://www.archive.org/details/sweepi...
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/181/...
The Sweeping Wind: A Memoir by P. de Kruif. Pp. 270. Harcourt, NY, 1962. John H. Raach, PhD, MD
Since this article doesn't have an abstract, we provide the 1st 150 words of the text:
In his memoir, Paul de Kruif gives us an autobiography which ranks with the best of these rare forms of literature. In his lifetime he has been in close touch with great events in 20th century medicine & has counted some of the great personages of the American scene among his intimate friends. The manner in which he recounts short anecdotes about many of these people is fascinating. Private conversations & letters, which always intrigue a reader, abound in his story & make it far better reading as a result.
For those who have enjoyed de Kruif's novels & articles, this memoir will be a welcome addition to their library of "de Kruifiana." The inimitable style which he has developed is at its best in the 1st portion of the book. The latter portion is less a story & more a mere recounting of experiences with people & committees.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/181/...
The Sweeping Wind: A Memoir by P. de Kruif. Pp. 270. Harcourt, NY, 1962. John H. Raach, PhD, MD
Since this article doesn't have an abstract, we provide the 1st 150 words of the text:
In his memoir, Paul de Kruif gives us an autobiography which ranks with the best of these rare forms of literature. In his lifetime he has been in close touch with great events in 20th century medicine & has counted some of the great personages of the American scene among his intimate friends. The manner in which he recounts short anecdotes about many of these people is fascinating. Private conversations & letters, which always intrigue a reader, abound in his story & make it far better reading as a result.
For those who have enjoyed de Kruif's novels & articles, this memoir will be a welcome addition to their library of "de Kruifiana." The inimitable style which he has developed is at its best in the 1st portion of the book. The latter portion is less a story & more a mere recounting of experiences with people & committees.
- GenresBiography
270 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Paul de Kruif
33 books36 followersPaul Henry de Kruif was an American microbiologist and author of Dutch descent. Publishing as Paul de Kruif, he is most noted for his 1926 book, Microbe Hunters. This book was not only a bestseller for a lengthy period after publication, it has remained high on lists of recommended reading for science and has been an inspiration for many aspiring physicians and scientists.
He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree (1912) and remained to obtain a Ph.D. (1916). He immediately entered service as a Private in Mexico on the Pancho Villa Expedition and afterwards served as a Lieutenant and a Captain in World War I in France. Because of his service in the Sanitary Corps, he had occasional contacts with leading French biologists of the period.
After returning to the University of Michigan as an Assistant Professor, De Kruif briefly worked for the Rockefeller Institute (for Medical Research). He then became a full-time writer.
De Kruif assisted Sinclair Lewis with his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Arrowsmith (1925) by providing the scientific and medical information required by the plot, along with character sketches. Even though Lewis was listed as the sole author, De Kruif's contribution was significant, and he received 25 percent of the royalties. Many believe the characters in the novel represent people known to De Kruif, with Martin Arrowsmith (a physician, unlike de Kruif) possibly representing himself.
Some of his writings created problems for him. Some essays written while working for the Rockefeller Institute led to his dismissal. Ronald Ross, one of the scientists featured in Microbe Hunters, took exception to how he was described, so the British edition deleted that chapter to avoid a libel suit.
De Kruif was a staff writer for the Ladies' Home Journal, Country Gentleman, and the Readers Digest, contributing articles on Science and Medicine. He also served on commissions to promote research into Infantile Paralysis.
The Sweeping Wind, his last book, is his autobiography.
He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree (1912) and remained to obtain a Ph.D. (1916). He immediately entered service as a Private in Mexico on the Pancho Villa Expedition and afterwards served as a Lieutenant and a Captain in World War I in France. Because of his service in the Sanitary Corps, he had occasional contacts with leading French biologists of the period.
After returning to the University of Michigan as an Assistant Professor, De Kruif briefly worked for the Rockefeller Institute (for Medical Research). He then became a full-time writer.
De Kruif assisted Sinclair Lewis with his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Arrowsmith (1925) by providing the scientific and medical information required by the plot, along with character sketches. Even though Lewis was listed as the sole author, De Kruif's contribution was significant, and he received 25 percent of the royalties. Many believe the characters in the novel represent people known to De Kruif, with Martin Arrowsmith (a physician, unlike de Kruif) possibly representing himself.
Some of his writings created problems for him. Some essays written while working for the Rockefeller Institute led to his dismissal. Ronald Ross, one of the scientists featured in Microbe Hunters, took exception to how he was described, so the British edition deleted that chapter to avoid a libel suit.
De Kruif was a staff writer for the Ladies' Home Journal, Country Gentleman, and the Readers Digest, contributing articles on Science and Medicine. He also served on commissions to promote research into Infantile Paralysis.
The Sweeping Wind, his last book, is his autobiography.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 18, 2017
An intensely subjective heartfelt memoir. Paul de Kruif makes no excuses for his behavior, he sees his flaws with a devastating eye and this book reads like an earnest confession, passionate and personal. I adored two of his books as a child, The Microbe Hunters and Hunger Fighters. This book fleshes out the personality and history behind those works-- the story of this biologist and writer's highest love, his wife Rhea, and their tumultuous life together. Why not five stars? Well some of the details are incomplete-- I imagine Paul smoking like a furnace dashing out page after page of this personal tale, but not returning to check for the tying up of loose threads. The other comment, more than criticism, that I will make, is that the subtitle "a memoir" is accurate. This is not his autobiography, it is Paul's love story.
January 31, 2025
Having read his 'Microbes and Men' as a child, I picked this up years later in SW Michigan, de Kruif's primary state of residence. It sat on my shelf for decades before being pulled out as a bedtime read.
De Kruif was trained as a microbiologist and was most known as a medical journalist and for his contributions to Sinclair Lewis' 'Arrowsmith'. This memoir is bookended by his relationship with his wife, Rhea, beginning with his return from WWI and ending with her death in 1957. Detailing his education at university and in the laboratory, the rest of the text goes back and forth between his personal life with her and his public life as a writer. He's remarkably frank about his various infidelities--and somewhat guilt-ridden.
De Kruif was trained as a microbiologist and was most known as a medical journalist and for his contributions to Sinclair Lewis' 'Arrowsmith'. This memoir is bookended by his relationship with his wife, Rhea, beginning with his return from WWI and ending with her death in 1957. Detailing his education at university and in the laboratory, the rest of the text goes back and forth between his personal life with her and his public life as a writer. He's remarkably frank about his various infidelities--and somewhat guilt-ridden.
June 17, 2017
3 1/2 stars
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews