Hamilton Bailey: A Surgeon’s Life

Hamilton Bailey was a legendary figure during his lifetime. He is still perceived as a great surgeon, though his fame rests less upon his prowess in the operating theatre than on his qualities as a writer and teacher. His textbooks, although constantly rewritten and updated, still command worldwide sales. Of all those who have ever written about surgery, Bailey is without doubt by far the most widely read. A large, strong man, with an air of self-confidence and authority, he had no difficulty in dominating those around him, but this imposing physique concealed a troubled and fragile mind. There was a family background of mental illness, and an accumulation of stresses and tragedies finally broke him down. What followed represents one of the most remarkable case histories in twentieth-century psychiatry. Originally published in 1999, this biography tells the story of Bailey’s extraordinary life, in the light of much fresh evidence and original research.