Leprosy is an infection and neglected tropical disease that is steeped in myths, and, although it is described in history books, it can remain a challenge to manage today. Written in an accessible manner for professionals and the public alike, this book takes a global view of leprosy past and present. As a backdrop, it starts with exploring what we actually know about leprosy from medicine, how it is spread to humans, and its effects on the body. It then moves to consider its diagnosis and treatment in people, past and present. The focus switches next to the ways in which leprosy is diagnosed in skeletons (paleopathology), from just looking at the bones to analyzing the DNA of the bacteria preserved in the bones. By doing so, information on skeletons with evidence of leprosy across the globe is synthesized with the aim of considering the current state of global knowledge regarding the origin, evolution, and history of leprosy. In particular, the book explores how all the people diagnosed with leprosy in their skeletons in the past were buried, and the myth that everybody was ostracized and segregated into leprosy hospitals, due to stigma, is dismissed. It concludes with thoughts on a future for leprosy, the need to continue to dispel its myths and to seriously reconsider the use of the word “leper” when discussing leprosy today and in the past.