A book that does what it says on the tin! The Extraordinary Surgeon concerned is Astley Cooper, a legendary late 18th- and early 19th-century medic, whom Druin Burch brings spectacularly to life. Burch is a surgeon (and an evocative writer), so can write confidently about the medical aspects of his tale and explain clearly the surgical processes carried out by Cooper and his colleagues without turning them into stomach-turning gothic interludes. He also weaves in stories from his own surgical experience which throw light on Cooper’s; in less disciplined hands, this could have descended into self-indulg­ence.

These factors combine to give the reader a rich flavour of the period in which Cooper lived, aided by the fact that he lived a very full life.