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.