Ian Howie-Willis Libri

The book explores the historical impact of sexually transmitted diseases, specifically gonorrhoea and syphilis, on Australian soldiers during the twentieth century. It highlights how these diseases, prevalent among troops in overseas deployments, significantly affected military readiness and operational capability. Prior to the introduction of penicillin in the mid-1940s, the debilitating effects of these infections led to thousands of soldiers being incapacitated for extended periods, illustrating a critical yet often overlooked aspect of military history.

The narrative focuses on Major-General 'Ginger' Burston's leadership of the Army Medical Service during the Pacific campaigns of World War II. It details the challenges faced by Burston and his medical team in maintaining the health of Allied troops amid harsh conditions, particularly highlighting their battle against malaria, which posed a significant threat. The book showcases the critical role of medical support in ensuring troop readiness and survival during one of history's most demanding military conflicts.

MALARIA is not only the greatest killer of humankind, the disease has been the relentless scourge of armies throughout history. Malaria thwarted the efforts of Alexander the Great to conquer India in the fourth century BC. Malaria frustrated the ambitions of Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan to rule all Europe in the fourth and thirteenth centuries ......

It is in fact, a critical, indispensable debriefing of a UN insider's account as it follows the life of a development practitioner for more than three decades within the global aid sector.It also goes where few others have dared to go before, providing first-hand insights into the realities of a UN career official's life.