Six-Legged Soldiers: Using Insects as Weapons of War

by Jeffrey A. Lockwood

Overview

In Six-Legged Soldiers, Jeffrey A. Lockwood paints a brilliant portrait of the many weirdly creative, truly frightening, and ultimately powerful ways in which insects have been used as weapons of war, terror, and torture. He concludes with a critical analysis of today's defenses--and homeland security's dangerous shortcomings--with respect to entomological attacks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199733538
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	05/13/2010
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Jeffrey A. Lockwood is Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities at the University of Wyoming, where he teaches in the department of philosophy and in the MFA program in creative writing. An accomplished writer, his work has been included in the popular anthology Best American Science and Nature Writing, and he is winner of both a Pushcart Prize and the John Burroughs Award. He is the author of Grasshopper Dreaming: Reflections on Killing and Loving and Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect that Shaped the American Frontier.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

List of Illustrations xix

Introduction 1

1 Stinging Defeats and Venomous Victories

1 Bee Bombs and Wasp Warheads 9

2 Toxic Tactics and Terrors 26

3 Insects as Tools of Torture 36

2 Vectors of Death

4 Horseshoes and Hand Grenades 47

5 The Victories of the Vectors 56

6 A Most Uncivil War 65

7 All's Lousy on the Eastern Front 77

3 Bringing Fever and Famine to a World At War

8 A Monstrous Metamorphosis 87

9 Entomological Evil 95

10 Japan's Fleas and Flies 108

11 Japan's Pleas and Lies 117

12 Beetle Bombs 128

13 Waking the Slumbering Giants 139

4 Cold-Blooded Fighters of the Cold War

14 Korea's Hailstorms of Hexapods 159

15 A Swarm of Accusations 171

16 An Imaginary Menagerie? 182

17 The Big Itch 193

18 Yankee (and Vietnamese) Ingenuity 203

19 Cuban Missiles vs. American Arthropods 210

20 A Tiny Terrorist in Castro's Crops 221

5 The Future of Entomological Warfare

21 Medflies, Fruits, and Nuts 233

22 Fear on the Farm 242

23 Wimpy Warmups and Real Deals 256

24 Six-Legged Guardian Angels 274

25 Insect Cyborgs and Roboflies 287

26 "Vigilant and Ready"? 298

Epilogue 311

Suggested Readings 315

Notes 323

Index 362

Editorial Reviews

"Six-Legged Soldiers is a fascinating account of the many ways that scientists and military strategists have used insects to torture, starve, and kill targets."—ScienceNews

"Six-Legged Soldiers is an excellent account of the affect arthropod-borne diseases have had on warfare...This book will inspire readers to understand...threats and prepare new methods to combat them."—Nature

"Both science and military history buffs will learn much from Lockwood, a self-described skeptic with a sense of humor."—Publisher's Weekly

"An infectious, haunting read."—The Financial Times

"Lockwood thoroughly and objectively assembles an engaging chronicle on a topic for which official documentation is often sparse and the opportunity for propaganda is rife."—Science News

"Highly Recommended."—CHOICE

"Lockwood...makes this history of entomological warfare morbidly entertaining...thanks to a lively writing style that ranges from the sardonic to the arch."—BioScience Magazine

From the Publisher