Dr. Joseph Warren

Meticulously grounded in original scholarship, this ambitious project is the definitive biography of Dr. Joseph Warren. Making sense of the subject's opaque eighteenth-century physician's account books was a feat of both forensic analysis and medical historical scholarship. It was also the elusive key to understanding Joseph Warren's life experiences. Scholar-physician Samuel A. Forman has used his capabilities in history, medicine, and business accounting combined with his enthusiasm for the topic to produce a volume worthy of its subject.

During the American Revolution, Dr. Joseph Warren was a nationally known figure. A Boston physician and hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill, he became known for his unconventional exploits in medicine. His hobby of obtaining dead bodies for anatomical study was picked up by the Harvard Spunkers Club, the forerunner of Harvard University's Medical School. Later, when Warren was running his own practice, he was allegedly heading up a spy ring out of his office. It was even rumored that he had an affair with the wife of an enemy general in order to collect military intelligence.

Other newly proved information about him is recorded in the book's illuminating appendices, from personal associations to the truth behind the legend that his head was previously held on display.