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.  The mosquito has determined the fates of empires and nations, razed and crippled economies, and decided the outcome of pivotal wars including three American Revolution and Civil War.  As the greatest purveyor of extermination we have ever known, she (only females bite) 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.

Dr. Timothy C. Winegard received his MA in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada and his PhD in History from the University of Oxford. He served as an officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, including an attachment to the British Army. He is the author of 5 books including the New York Times, LA Times, and International Best Seller, The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator (2019) published in 15 languages.

Tim is an Assistant Professor of History at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. As a true Canadian, he is also the head coach of Colorado Mesa University's Hockey Team.