For many years there has been a need for a comprehensive text on vascular surgery, written from the point of view of surgeons with extensive personal experience in this field. The work of Kinmonth, Rob, and Simeone should meet that need. All three of the authors are well known as experts in vascular surgery. In their newly published treatise, they have attempted to cover the entire field with all its ramifications, including even vascular tumors, portal hypertension, and neurovascular disturbances, such as the thoracic outlet syndromes and the carpal tunnel syndrome. A final chapter deals with cardiac arrest, hypothermia, and perfusion.
Not all the subjects are covered with equal thoroughness. Kinmonth's excellent chapter "Diseases of the Lymphatic Vessels" is almost a monograph on the subject. Hypertension and the cryopathies are treated in a comparable manner. On the other hand, subjects such as the sympathetic dystrophies and aneurysms deserve more comprehensive