Malaria

A fascinating, big picture history of malaria from its zoonotic emergence in Africa 50,000 years ago through to its impact today, and the frightening truth of how it might spread in future years.

A fascinating, big picture history of malaria from its zoonotic emergence in Africa 50,000 years ago through to its impact today, and the frightening truth of how it might spread in future years.

Malaria is one of humanity’s oldest diseases. In this interdisciplinary history, Jordan Goodman exposes how we can understand its many facets, from the scientific knowledge on zoonotic diseases and how they operate to their historical influence on population movement, spurring world-changing mass migration both in the ancient world and today. We are offered an insight into how the charity sector and medical research work, as well as a vision of our imperilled future: as global warming accelerates, the significant spread of malaria to Europe and the US is only too likely.

Working in primary sources from multiple languages, this will be a defining book on malaria and how it has shaped humanity.