Stowaway

‘Shows us that, ultimately, the history of rats is a history of ourselves.’ THE SUNDAY TIMES

‘An intelligent and enlightening book’ MICHAEL MORPURGO

'Wonderful' THE SPECTATOR

Plague-carriers. Filth-spreaders. Villains. Vermin. No animal is more maligned than the rat – or more misunderstood.

Rats inspire fear and fascination in equal measure – everyone has a rat story. In Stowaway, Joe Shute travels to some of the most heavily infested cities in the world to unpick the myths we tell ourselves about our rodent neighbours.

From sub-Saharan Africa to the Rocky Mountains, he delves into the hidden world rats inhabit beneath our feet, learns about their role in natural ecosystems and discovers how their extraordinary intelligence is saving lives. And through his own pet rats, he overcomes his own prejudices and experiences the deep emotional bonds rats can form with humans when given the chance.

Rats have shaped human history – and with so many of them living alongside us, there’s no future without them. Is there a better way to coexist with them in the modern age? And what can the lives of rats teach us about our own?