Form Follows Fever

Christopher Cowell's account of British Hong Kong offers the most detailed account yet of the crucial first decade of the colony's existence. His engagement with the medley of actors, from across the globe, that contributed to the colony's ultimate success is both intriguing and revealing. It is a brilliant miniature of colonial urban development in action."""" —Alex Bremner, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Edinburgh """"This is a beautifully written book. Cowell offers fresh perspectives on how malaria played a decisive role in shaping the forms of the colonial built environment and the future course of the city. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Hong Kong history and urbanism."""" — Cecilia L. Chu, School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong """"A wonderfully rich and detailed architectural history of Hong Kong's first decade as a British colony that sheds new light on the consequential effects of disease and climate on what was built, by whom, and why."""" — Cole Roskam, Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong """"Form Follows Fever shows how Hong Kong's path from a so-called 'barren island' to a thriving port city was often a perilous one. It is a wonderfully original and insightful study that weaves together an unlikely melange of urban history, military engineering, and medical history."""" —John M. Carroll, Department of History, The University of Hong Kong.