Designed like a fine art book, this beautiful work by the foremost American historian of surgery represents the finest pictorial record of the history of surgery ever assembled between two covers. Writing from a surgeon' perspective, Dr. Rutkow traces the development of surgery from its crude beginnings, from a primitive craft to one of modern society's most accomplished achievements. Brief biographies of hundreds of the most famous surgeons in history are included, as are charts and timelines, to make this history as accessible as possible.