Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery

Written by Richard Hollingham

Narrated by Liam Gerrard

Today, astonishing surgical breakthroughs are making limb transplants, face transplants, and a host of other previously undreamed-of operations possible. But getting here has not been a simple story of medical progress. In Blood and Guts, veteran science writer Richard Hollingham weaves a compelling narrative from the key moments in surgical history. We have a ringside seat in the operating theater of University College Hospital in London as world-renowned Victorian surgeon Robert Liston performs a remarkable amputation in thirty seconds-from first cut to final stitch. Innovations such as Joseph Lister's antiseptic technique, the first open-heart surgery, and Walter Freeman's lobotomy operations, among other breakthroughs, are brought to life in vivid detail. This is popular science writing at its best.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: May 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781977349538

Reviews for Blood and Guts

[Sarmad Gailani · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good surgical struggling history.......
I recommend it 4 medical studies

[Amber Pockelé · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Could be less boring and less ableist, but an okay read

[Amy Rasmusson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Muy interstate y entretenido.
La verdad es que es una recopila de eventos muy bien armada

[Kelsey Dodds · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not for the faint of heart. The history of surgery is a bloody intense story of human tragedy and triumphs… generally with a good dose of “nothing left to lose” .
Good story telling mind goes with fasts and historical dates.

[aadyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A superb very readable introduction into a complex subject. By no means exhaustative, but then it makes pains to ensure that this is understood, focusing instead on five branches of surgery: Cardiac, transplant, trauma, plastic & neurosurgery. It starts well, and uses vignettes to illustrate key points & problems facing the surgical pioneers in each field. In places, I think that non medics might find it gruesome but it is very readable & fascinatingly written. the author clearly has a talent for evoking a time & a place, and that adds to the feel of what is very well written first person history. The bibliography could have been longer, and it would have been nice to know where to find more about Harken, Gillies and the rest, but that is only a minor complaint. Well recommended to all, even the non medic, but especially those with an interest in the human condition