A fascinating, beautifully illustrated book featuring the animals that have played a central role in the evolution of humankind and modern society. Examples of the animals detailed are: - The horse, used in warfare since the 4th millennium BC, helped the Mongols to subdue a huge empire - The silkworm, vital to textile manufacturing for over 5 500 years, was the trigger for trade between China and Europe - The flea Xenopsylla cheopis spread the Black Death and so claimed up to 100 million lives in the mid-1300s - The beaver drove hunters and trappers into previously unexplored regions of Canada and the northern US as part of the fur trade.