The Conquest of Malaria: Italy, 1900-1962

Interesting, if relatively straightforward work on the history of malaria in Italy. Begins with debates over the origins of the disease, on the shortcomings of quinine as an all-in-one solution, the interconnection between the battle against malaria and social/gender/education history as well as the impact of war on fighting the disease. Chapter on fascism and malaria, with the holistic approach taken then. Follows with chapter on wartime biological warfare of Germans using malaria, and questions narrative of DDT as almost solely responsible for eliminating the disease in the early postwar. Ends with caution for current policy makers who attempt a single-solution approach (nets, for example) and emphasizes the success in history of an approach which combines social reforms with a range of other approaches.