THE SIGN OF THE RED CROSS against a background of white is recognized throughout the world as a symbol of aid in time of need. It was the dream of a single man, Jean Henri Dunant, to establish a permanent voluntary relief agency to help mankind — in peace as well as in war. Dunant, a Swiss businessman, had the vision and courage to realize his ideal in an organization that would live long beyond himself. The Red Cross today is Dunant's living memorial to his faith in man.

This is the story of the life and dreams of the nineteenth-century philanthropist who spared no personal cost in his struggle to better the world. Carol Z. Rothkopf writes of his torment and triumph as he worked to alleviate human suffering.

From the book