The Mosquito

A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator

De: Timothy C. Winegard

Narrado por: Mark Deakins

**The instant New York Times bestseller.**

*An international bestseller.*

Finalist for the Lane Anderson Award

Finalist for the RBC Taylor Award

“Hugely impressive, a major work.”—NPR

A pioneering and groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing how through millennia, the mosquito has been the single most powerful force in determining humanity’s fate

Why was gin and tonic the cocktail of choice for British colonists in India and Africa? What does Starbucks have to thank for its global domination? What has protected the lives of popes for millennia? Why did Scotland surrender its sovereignty to England? What was George Washington's secret weapon during the American Revolution?

The answer to all these questions, and many more, is the mosquito.

Across our planet since the dawn of humankind, this nefarious pest, roughly the size and weight of a grape seed, has been at the frontlines of history as the grim reaper, the harvester of human populations, and the ultimate agent of historical change. As the mosquito transformed the landscapes of civilization, humans were unwittingly required to respond to its piercing impact and universal projection of power.

The mosquito has determined the fates of empires and nations, razed and crippled economies, and decided the outcome of pivotal wars, killing nearly half of humanity along the way. She (only females bite) has dispatched an estimated 52 billion people from a total of 108 billion throughout our relatively brief existence. As the greatest purveyor of extermination we have ever known, she has played a greater role in shaping our human story than any other living thing with which we share our global village.

Imagine for a moment a world without deadly mosquitoes, or any mosquitoes, for that matter? Our history and the world we know, or think we know, would be completely unrecognizable.

Driven by surprising insights and fast-paced storytelling, The Mosquito is the extraordinary untold story of the mosquito’s reign through human history and her indelible impact on our modern world order.

©2019 Timothy C. Winegard (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 RBC TAYLOR PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 LANE ANDERSON AWARD

An instant New York Times bestseller

“Timothy C. Winegard's The Mosquito is as wildly entertaining as any epic narrative out there. It's also all true . . . Winegard masterfully weaves historical facts and science to offer a shocking, informative narrative that shows how who we are today is directly linked to the mosquito.”—NPR

“Winegard’s reminder of their enormous potential for destruction is a timely one for all of us…we modern folk are also guilty of believing that our hopes and our technology will somehow make us exempt from the workings of the natural world. The entire time that humanity has been in existence, the mosquito has been proof that we are not.”—The New Yorker

“Thrilling . . . a lively history of mosquitoes. Mr. Winegard convincingly argues that the insect has shaped human life as well as delivering death… Mr. Winegard is an engaging guide, especially when he combines analysis with anecdote.”—The Economist

Better take note

I had no idea how deadly mosquitoes were and, apparently, still are. CRISPR their asses!

Great book!!!

Very well done!!! It was a great history lesson!!! I had to take malaria medication in Massawa, Eritrea and now I know why.

Good book with some different title

I am not saying abolitionism isn’t important and interesting topic, but there is just too much of it in this book. Writer gets continually lost in side tracks and loves repetition.

Good at First...

Interestingly written, but as others have mentioned, I noticed that the author is inaccurate on numerous occasions- and each time an error was stated as fact, made me wonder about all the other information on the topic included in the book. Narrator is very good and easy to listen to.

Fascinating

I have read quite a bit of history. Why did I never hear this before? Very fascinated and well done.

Anxious about awful alliteration

Seriously somebody please burn Deakins' thesaurus. The content is interesting, but the constant alliteration and unnecessarily flowery verbage is really distracting

Re-writing history

My friends are getting tired of me bringing up how much mosquitos have affected history. This book has increased my appreciation for our ancestors.

A different history protagonist

The body of research is quite impressive and although some social, economic and political conclusions can be a little far fetched, overall is a great Western history book. Sometimes repetitive, by the forth or fifth chapter you are either used to the rhythm and will continue to enjoy the book, or be fed up and leave it aside. I would recommend to stick with it because the story is worth it and as much as one knows of history, this is a very valuable perspective on the making of the West world.

What the Buzz is all about!

Overall very good, but some historical inaccuracies "bugged" me. Nevertheless, the author put a great deal of work and time in preparing the book. The narrator was excellent. I recommend this title to any student of history or science.

Absolutely enthralling

I learned so much from this book and I have a entirely new view of the world around us as a history buff this book was a classic and I recommend it all the time to others!