Under the Knife

A History of Surgery in 28 Remarkable Operations

By: Arnold van de Laar

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Paperback | 1 November 2018 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20 x 13.5 x 3

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The history of surgery in 28 famous operations - from Louis XIV to JFK, and from Einstein to Houdini.

How did a decision made in the operating theatre spark hundreds of conspiracy theories about JFK?
How did a backstage joke prove fatal to world-famous escape artist Harry Houdini?
How did Queen Victoria change the course of surgical history?

Through dark centuries of bloodletting and of amputations without anaesthetic to today's sterile, high-tech operating theatres, surgeon Arnold van de Laar uses his experience and expertise to tell an incisive history of the past, present and future of surgery. From the dark centuries of bloodletting and of amputations without anaesthetic to today's sterile, high-tech operating theatres, Under the Knife is both a rich cultural history, and a modern anatomy class for us all.

Industry Reviews

This is history with a surgeon's touch: deft, incisive and sometimes excruciatingly bloody . . . A fascinating combination of art, medical science and - still - daring butchery - The Sunday Times

Utterly eccentric and riveting - Mail on Sunday

Irresistible . . . Van de Laar renders complex surgical procedures not only understandable, but also immensely entertaining . . . A lot of fun - The Times

[A] fascinating history of surgery . . . eye-opening and, frequently, eye-watering . . . a book that invites readers to peer up the bottoms of kings, into the souls of rock stars and down the ear canals of astronauts - The Daily Telegraph, 5* review

Fascinating . . . a brisk but revealing tour of the human body. Each story shines a light on the wonders and weaknesses of our biology, and on the science we have used to treat it - Irish Independent

Fascinating . . . The author's sense of humour is as sharp as his scapel - Spectator

In this witty chronicle, surgeon Arnold van de Laar dissects thousands of years' worth of remarkably gruesome stories. From anaesthetic-free amputations and bloodletting to Albert Einstein's aneurysm, these are key insights into the cut and thrust of medicine - Nature

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