A treatise on operative neurosurgery by an officer of the Regular Army would ordi­ narily be expected to emphasize management of trauma. But this is far from an ordinary effort and the reader will quickly realize that here we encounter a Handbuch in the classic mold. General neurosurgical procedures are presented with great clarity by an extra­ ordinary individual. Originally an ornithologist of repute and accomplished student of medieval history, Colonel KEMPE received his residency training in the large and well-balanced neuro­ surgical program at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Later, he was assigned to that service and has been Chief of Neurosurgery at the Center since 1965. Through the years, he has made it a practice to sketch the steps and surgical anatomy of his operative proce­ dures for inclusion in the hospital records, and these drawings have been used on rounds with young house officers as one of the many notable features of the Army's neurosurgical residency program. His remarkable talent with the sketchbook coupled with his devotion to detail in patient care and in teaching has culminated in an opus which will be of tremendous value. The book is based upon the rich personal experience of the neurosurgeons at Walter Reed. The illustrations and text bring to the student an understanding of anatomy and the important minute details of surgical approaches which are unexcelled in any other presently-available text.