The Knife Man. The Extraordinary Life and Times of John Hunter, Father of Modern Surgery [Hardcover]

Praise for "the Knife Man":
" The surgeon John Hunter (1728- 93) is not a well-known name outside specialist circles, although that scandalous situation should be corrected by Wendy Moore's marvelous biography." -- "The Times Higher"
" Definitely not for the squeamish, Moore's visceral portrait of this complex and brilliant man offers a wonderful insight into sickness, suffering, and surgery in the 18th century." -- "The Guardian (UK)"
" Moore's feel for pace and narrative is impeccable. Her book contains just the right amount of background scenery to bring Hunter alive without swamping him.... She is, at last, the biographer Hunter deserves." -- "The Independent"

'Always vivid and entertaining...The Knife Man leaves one entranced with Moore's hero and the age in which he lived.'

'Moore has recreated Hunter’s life and times in wonderfully rich detail. This is a truly fascinating read.’

'A biography packed with gruesome facts and eye-opening perceptions. It is an accomplished achievement and a splendid read.'

The vivid, often gruesome portrait of the 18th-century pioneering surgeon and father of modern medicine, John Hunter.

WINNER OF THE MEDICAL JOURNALISTS' OPEN BOOK AWARD 2005 Revered and feared in equal measure, John Hunter was the most famous surgeon of eighteenth-century London. Rich or poor, aristocrat or human freak, suffering Georgians knew that Hunter’s skills might well save their lives ­but if he failed, their corpses could end up on his dissecting table, their bones and organs destined for display in his remarkable, macabre museum. Maverick medical pioneer, adored teacher, brilliant naturalist, Hunter was a key figure of the Enlightenment who transformed surgery, advanced biological understanding and even anticipated the evolutionary theories of Darwin. He provided inspiration both for Dr Jekyll and Dr Dolittle. But the extremes to which he went to pursue his scientific mission raised question marks then as now. John Hunter’s extraordinary world comes to life in this remarkable, award-winning biography written by a wonderful new talent.

'A gruesome but fascinating biography...Definitely not for the squeamish, this visceral portrait offers a wonderful insight into sickness, suffering and surgery in the 18th century. Excellent' Guardian

Revered and feared in equal measure, John Hunter was the most famous surgeon of eighteenth-century London. Rich or poor, aristocrat or human freak, suffering Georgians knew that Hunter's skills might well save their lives; if he failed, their corpses could end up on his dissecting table, their bones and organs destined for display in his remarkable, macabre museum. Maverick medical pioneer, adored teacher, brilliant naturalist, Hunter was a key figure of the Enlightenment who transformed surgery, advanced biological understanding and even anticipated the evolutionary theories of Darwin. He provided inspiration both for Dr Jekyll and Dr Dolittle. But the extremes to which he went to pursue his scientific mission raised question marks then as now.

'Moore has written a fast-moving, vivid life which is not for the faint-hearted...She has a remarkable tale to tell, and she tells it with vim and gusto' Spectator

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

WENDY MOORE is a writer and journalist specializiing in health and medical topics for more than 20 years. Her work has been published in a range of newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian, The Observer and the British Medical Journal. She obtained the Diploma in the History of Medicine from the Society of Apothecaries (DHMSA) in 1999 and won the Maccabean prize for best dissertation in that year. The Knife Man, Wendy's first book, won the Medical Journalists' of the Year Open Book award in 2005. She lives in south London with her partner and two children.