Dangerous Miracle: A natural history of antibiotics – and how we burned through them

‘A riveting book … In combining the passion of Robert Macfarlane with the incisiveness of Patrick Radden Keefe, Shaw has announced himself as a brilliant new voice in science writing’ RACHEL CLARKE, SPECTATOR**A SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025**Antibiotics are one of humanity’s greatest achievements but our access to them is under threat. Discover their miraculous history – and how we confront their uncertain future. Since their advent, antibiotics have saved millions of lives, marking one of the greatest medical advances in our history. Dangerous Miracle weaves together the grand arc of the evolution of antibiotics over millions of years with a history of the past century: first as we mined the earth for naturally occurring antibiotic molecules, then as we learned to synthesise our own. But like fossil fuels, antibiotics are a finite resource which we’ve regarded as a cheap, everlasting fuel. They are unlike other drugs: every time we use them we increase the possibility of antibiotic resistance emerging, risking their future effectiveness. If we want antibiotics to have a future, we need to prepare to adapt. And fast. ‘Excellent’ HENRY MARSH‘Brilliant’ TIM SPECTOR‘Fascinating’ SARAH GILBERT‘Eye-opening and thrilling’ MATTHEW COBB‘Absolutely essential’ KATE BINGHAM

Antibiotics: one of humanity’s greatest achievements – but invented by microbes.

An epic narrative of discovery and innovation – but also of extraction and exploitation.

This is the spellbinding story of how we have burned through the fossil fuels of medicine.

Since their advent, antibiotics have saved millions of lives, marking one of the greatest medical advances in our history. Dangerous Miracle weaves together the grand arc of the evolution of antibiotics over millions of years with a history of the past century: first as we mined the earth for naturally occurring antibiotic molecules, then as we learned to synthesise our own.

But like fossil fuels, antibiotics are a finite resource which we’ve regarded as a cheap, everlasting fuel. They are unlike other drugs: every time we use them we increase the possibility of antibiotic resistance emerging, risking their future effectiveness. If we want antibiotics to have a future, we need to prepare to adapt. And fast.

Rich with pioneering characters, great breakthroughs and grave risks, Dangerous Miracle is a grand drama of science, history and politics. It is a revelatory account of the miraculous history and uncertain future of antibiotics from a gifted writer.

• | Author: Liam Shaw
• | Publisher: Vintage Publishing
• | Publication Date: Aug 21, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Hardback
• | ISBN-13: 9781847927545
• | ISBN-10: 1847927548