I have about a dozen "Great Courses" DVD sets. This is without a doubt the best organized and presented of the lot. The professor has a more broad based knowledge of his subject mater than I've seen in a DVD based course before. He injects subtle humor and background information about the individuals behind the discoveries in a way which makes what could have been a dry topic. I found it so impressive that I ordered a second copy for my son. Normally I'd simply forward my copy, but in this case I wanted to keep it here to watch again.
Tulane is an exceptional university principally because it has people like Dr. Fleury on faculty. I can give this course my highest recommendation both for those who want to learn more about the evolution of microbiology and those who want to see an example of excellent teaching.