Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery

Description

A colourful narrative history on the macabre world of surgery Today, astonishing surgical breakthroughs are making face transplants, limb transplants and a host of other previously undreamed of operations possible. But getting here has not been a simple story of selfless men working tirelessly in the pursuit of medical advancement. Instead it's a bloodstained tale of blunders, arrogance, mishap and murder. In trying to keep us alive, surgeons have all too often killed us off, and life-saving solutions have often come from the most surprising places. Accompanying a BBC series, Blood and Guts is an incredible story of stolen corpses, medical fraud, lobotomized patients - and every now and then courageous advances that have saved the lives of millions around the world. You may think twice before going under the knife...

Richard Hollingham is a writer, journalist and BBC radio presenter. He has written and presented a number of BBC radio series on science, the environment and international politics. A former senior producer on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Richard is also a frequent contributor to From Our Own Correspondent. His popular science book How to Clone the Perfect Blonde, co-authored with Sue Nelson, was longlisted for the coveted Aventis Science Prize in 2004. Michael Mosley is an award-winning BBC producer. As the presenter of the highly acclaimed BBC series Medical Mavericks he experimented on himself to demonstrate the revolutionary new techniques of medical pioneers. He is the presenter of Blood and Guts- a History of Surgery.

Blood and Guts is an excellent history of surgery... a highly readable book, full of gripping anedcotes * Irish Mail on Sunday *