Discover a masterful exploration of the human body in 'Bodies Politic', a brilliant book by Roy Porter that delves into the representations of health, disease, and death from the mid-seventeenth to the twentieth century in Britain. This brand new B-format paperback edition (ISBN: 9781789142792) scrutinizes the complex symbolism surrounding the healthy and diseased body, often intertwined with societal judgments of beauty, goodness, and morality. With Porter’s adept narrative, you’ll journey through time, experiencing the evolution of public perceptions of illness and the medical profession. This historical tour de force illuminates how self-presentations by doctors, surgeons, and even charlatans shaped public identity and influenced medical practices. Packed with rich anecdotes, the book reveals the symbolic meanings behind disease and doctoring, providing insight into the 'body politic'. With 153 compelling illustrations, each page offers a vivid portrayal of the fleshly horrors and societal perceptions of health during these transformative centuries. Perfect for history enthusiasts, medical professionals, and anyone interested in the social implications of illness, Porter’s work is an essential read. Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781789142792
Year: 2021
Publisher: Reaktion Books


Description:


A magisterial account by Roy Porter of representations of the body in health, disease and death

In this historical tour de force, now available in B-format paperback, Roy Porter takes a critical look at representations of the body in health, disease and death in Britain from the mid-seventeenth to the twentieth century. Porter argues that great symbolic weight was attached to contrasting conceptions of the healthy and diseased body, and that such ideas were mapped onto antithetical notions of the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. With these images in mind, he explores aspects of being ill alongside the practice of medicine, paying special attention to self-presentations by physicians, surgeons and quacks, and to changes in practitioners' public identities over time. Porter also examines the wider symbolic meanings of disease and doctoring and the 'body politic'. Porter's book is packed with outrageous and amusing anecdotes portraying diseased bodies and medical practitioners alike.

'[A] wonderful book . . . There are 153 illustrations in this book, and every one is an exultation in the fleshly horrors of the era.' – Tim Radford, The Guardian

'[A] magical history tour of illness and public attitudes to disease and doctors over the past 250 years.' – Val Hennessy, Daily Mail