What would you say if, during this period of confinement, you had the opportunity to meet up (virtually) with Louis Pasteur and his nephew Adrien Loir? Why not make the most of this unique time to catch up on some reading and find out more about Louis Pasteur and his family? There are plenty of bookshops available online! Pasteur's Nephew – Or the Adventurous Life of Adrien Loir, Scholar and Globe-Trotter – a new book by Annick Perrot and Maxime Schwartz
Jointly penned by Annick Perrot and Maxime Schwartz and published by Odile Jacob, the book Le Neveu de Pasteur ou la Vie aventureuse d'Adrien Loir, savant et globe-trotter (Pasteur's Nephew – Or the Adventurous Life of Adrien Loir, Scholar and Globe-Trotter) tells the story of Adrien Loir. Relatively unknown to the public, Adrien Loir nevertheless played a vital role, firstly as Louis Pasteur's personal assistant and then as a key player in the creation of the Institut Pasteur International Network.
When Louis Pasteur responded to the Australian government's appeal to eradicate the rabbits that were spreading uncontrollably throughout the country, he decided not to go to Sydney himself; instead he sent Adrien, who set up an institute there – after a number of setbacks. While in Australia, he met Sarah Bernhardt, turned his attention to cattle instead of rabbits, and photographed Aboriginal Australians...
Adrien Loir was involved in tackling animal and human disease outbreaks on every continent. His life coincided with the global expansion of vaccination. Telling the story of Adrien Loir sheds light on some of the lesser known aspects of Louis Pasteur's work and his influence worldwide.
Le Neveu de Pasteur: ou la vie Aventureuse d'Adrien Loir, savant et globe-trotter (1862-1941) [Pasteur's Nephew – Or the Adventurous Life of Adrien Loir, Scholar and Globe-Trotter], Maxime Schwartz et Annick Perrot, Ed. Odile Jacob, Collection OJ.SCIENCES, March 18, 2020, 320 pages.
Annick Perrot is honorary curator of the Pasteur Museum. Maxime Schwartz is a molecular biologist who served as President of the Institut Pasteur. His books include Comment les vaches sont devenues folles ("How the Cows Turned Mad", 2001), Des microbes ou des hommes, qui va l'emporter? ("Microbes or Men, Who Will Win?", with François Rodhain, 2008) and La Découverte du virus du sida ("The Discovery of HIV", with Jean Castex, 2009). Together, they co-authored Pasteur et ses lieutenants (Pasteur and his lieutenants), Pasteur et Koch (Pasteur and Koch) and Le Génie de Pasteur au secours des Poilus (Pasteur's Genius Comes to the Aid of WW1 Soldiers), all bestsellers.
