Under the Knife

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

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