The Mosquito
By Timothy C. Winegard
A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator. Dutton, 2019.
Summary of The Mosquito book by Timothy C. Winegard
The tale of a tiny, blood-sucking terror that has claimed the lives of unthinkable numbers of people throughout human history, while also helping crush the Roman Empire, enable the crusades, and decide the American Civil War.
Chapters in The Mosquito book summary
What do you get from this book? A penetrating portrait of the creepy crawly culprit behind countless world events
The mosquito is the deadliest creature with which we share the planet, killing almost half of everyone who ever lived
For eons, mosquitoes have used stealthy moves to suck blood and carry diseases that even devastated the dinosaurs
The ancient world of humans was molded by the mosquito, enabling victory for the Athenians and Alexander the Great
The vast Roman Empire both rose and fell with the aid of the malaria-carrying mosquito
From the crusades to Genghis Khan, so many major conflicts have been impacted by the measly mosquito
The beginning of an empire in the Americas was also the beginning of catastrophic plagues—many carried by mosquitoes
Colonialism in the Americas was defeated in part by the mosquito, forcing out the French, the British and the Spanish
The mosquito played both sides in the American Civil War, before malaria helped secure victory for the free states
World War II impacted many different countries, but was a positive turning point in mankind’s battle with the mosquito
Science has failed to fully defeat the mosquito, but new advances may mark a turning point
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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The Mosquito — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read The Mosquito book
- Insect lovers
- history buffs
- fans of an unusual tale
- those looking for a unique perspective
- anyone who has ever gotten a bug bite
About the author of The Mosquito
Timothy C. Winegard
Timothy C. Winegard is an assistant professor of political science and history at Colorado Mesa University and a PhD graduate of the University of Oxford. His internationally renowned book The Mosquito has been translated into many different languages and his other publications include For King and Kanata, and The First World Oil War.
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Adam Rutherford
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Rebecca Rupp
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