Mosquito Warrior: Yellow Fever, Public Health, and the Forgotten Career of General William C. Gorgas

Best known for his yellow fever research, William Crawford Gorgas (1854–1920) spent his career in mosquito zones like Panama and Havana to build his expertise on scientific germ theory, modern sanitation, and public health. He believed these locales were keys to controlling mosquito-borne illnesses. Byerly’s (Good Tuberculosis Men) meticulously researched biography tells Gorgas’s life story while also exposing some of the petty politics that shaped the advancement of both his career and public healthcare. Byerly, a historian of military medicine, spends a substantial amount of time on Gorgas’s childhood, but she also notes other important and moving situations in his adult life, such as his wife’s breast cancer. This book cites numerous primary resources (letters, diaries, and more) from various special collections, the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, the Tennessee State Library and Archives, and periodicals. This title also includes black-and-white photos and illustrations and an acronyms list.