Revered and feared in equal measure, John Hunter was the most famous surgeon of 18th-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 his remarkable museum. Acclaimed today as the father of modern surgery, Hunter advanced biological understanding and anticipated the evolutionary theories of Darwin. He provided inspiration for both Dr Jekyll and Dr Dolittle.

'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'

The Guardian