It is often said that we live in a violent world. Traumatic injuries are commonplace; every hospital, large or small, sees scores of such patients daily. Appropriate diagnosis and management of the trauma patient are necessary not only to save lives but also to minimize the morbidity which follows injury. It is not surprising, therefore, that several books covering various aspects of trauma diagnosis and treatment are published annually. They are, however, seldom redundant because of the continuing rapid evolution of knowledge relating to the diagnosis and management of the traumatized...