The Four Horsemen

£12.99

In lucid and energised prose, Emily Mayhew summons the four horsemen of the apocalypse; the collective threat to humanity bearing the names of war, pestilence, famine and death. From their first appearance in Revelations they have remained in human consciousness ever since, spanning time and space and evolving as new scientific discoveries and advancements in technology alter the world. Mayhew examines in detail the four afflictions faced by humanity throughout history and shows, that despite our pessimistic view of the future there are people from all walks of life – scientists, doctors, engineers, biologists, statisticians, app developers, historians, NGOs and volunteers – who are making the world a safer place. The line stretches all the way round the world and its strength comes from common purpose.

Backorder Notice MessageJan 01, 1970

SKU: 9781529401738 Category: Tag:

Description

The Four Horsemen – War, Pestilence, Famine and Death – first appeared in the Book of Revelations a thousand years ago, but they continue to track us in our own time. This original and inspiring study by
celebrated historian Emily Mayhew traces the advances in science, technology and humanitarianism that are enabling us to take them on, one by one.

‘The beauty of The Four Horsemen is how she takes her quaking readers to the edge of the abyss . . . I was left moved and uplifted . . . [A] first-class example of popular science’ The Times
‘[A] thoughtful and ultimately uplifting analysis of the unsung heroes of our age’ Independent

It begins in Mosul, our oldest surviving city, and the extraordinary coalition created in a matter of days to save its people from the worst horrors of the liberation battle against ISIS. As the city and the humanitarian operation that helped it to survive are restructured for a new age, Mayhew shows other people whose work gives us hope for the future, from the search to find new ways to discover and use antimicrobial medicines and the innovations in preventing the spread of deadly viruses; the laboratory work being taken to protect crops from disease and reduce famine, and why the potato, not the banana is the future; to the unique courage and resolution of those dedicated to securing the rights of the dead and their families.

Standing in the way of the Horsemen is what Emily Mayhew calls, ‘the most extraordinary alliance ever to come together in defence of our humanity.’ These are the doctors, scientists, statisticians, engineers, peace negotiators, pharmacists, historians, forensic scientists, vaccinators and volunteers who are creating solutions to life and death problems which threaten us all. They are the new heroes of our age and this book is about them.

Additional information

Weight 245 g
Dimensions 202 × 128 × 28 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

320

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

363.3409 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K