All physicians and most laymen will find this history of radiology completely fascinating. In general, medical-historical writings may hold great appeal for a limited audience, but with the present book the interest should be very broad indeed.
The authors, professional writers and not physicians, have brought to their task a magnificently readable style, excellent organization, and sound scholarship. In addition to mining the sources, they have consulted extensively with radiologists, and the book has an authoritative ring throughout. Starting with Roentgen's discovery in 1895 of the rays that bear his name, the authors trace the way the news spread in this country, the way physicians and lay-men reacted to it, and the adaptation of the discovery to various medical uses. The early clinical pioneers, the development of new equipment, and the slow recognition of the dangers involved, make absorbing reading.
With the development of the Coolidge tube in 1913, radiology