Written by a world-renowned historian of surgery, this volume is a masterful textual and pictorial history of the evolution of American surgery. Dr. Rutkow draws on his experience as a surgeon and a historian to provide an enlightening account of the development of surgery in the context of American social, economic, and political history. Interspersed with the narrative is an extraordinary collection of archival photographs and drawings, many of which have never before been published.The first section chronicles the history of American surgery from Native American practices and colonial times to the present. Particular attention is given to the professionalization and specialization of surgery, as well as to the influence of wars, technological advances, and other pivotal events on the profession. The second section details the history of specific surgical specialties. More than 1,000 biographical accounts of famous surgeons are deftly woven into the narrative.
Ira Rutkow is a general surgeon and medical historian. After graduating from Union College (NY), he earned his medical degree from St. Louis University. While completing training as a general surgeon, Rutkow also received a master and doctorate in public health from the Johns Hopkins University.
He is the author of seven books, most recently Seeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America (Scribner, 2010). Rutkow's other works include James A. Garfield (2006), part of Times Books' American Presidents series edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr; Bleeding Blue and Gray: Civil War Surgery and the Evolution of American Medicine (2005); American Surgery: An Illustrated History (1998); Surgery: An Illustrated History (1993), named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; and the two volume The History of Surgery in the United States (1992 and 1988). In addition to his historical writings, he has edited numerous medical textbooks, including Socioeconomics of Surgery (1989), and authored journal articles and book chapters on various surgical techniques.
Rutkow is a recipient of the 1994 American Medical Writers Association "Medical Book Award," and the 2005 Fletcher Pratt Literary Award of the Civil War Round Table of New York, Rutkow has been inducted into The Johns Hopkins University's "Society of Scholars," and awarded Union College's Founders' Medal. He is listed in Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare.
He and his wife divide their time between New York City and their farm in the Hudson Valley.
