Phyllis Hembry, author of The English Spa 1560 to 1815, wrote about the origins and development of the spas and their flowering in the eighteenth century. Her book deals not only with their healing and recreational aspects, but also with their status as political, religious, social, and economic gathering places. Hembry had intended to produce a second volume, taking the story further, but died before being able to do so. She had gathered a considerable amount of material and written several draft chapters for this volume. Dr. and Mrs. Cowie have made use of this, revising and supplementing Hembry's text to create a study that continues to the present time and is extended to include Welsh, Scottish, and Irish spas as well.

This is a fascinating and vividly written study of Henri de Rothschild, a somewhat neglected figure in the history of the illustrious Rothschild family. It will make a valuable addition to the libraries of scholars from several branches of the history of medicine and those studying child health and welfare, the portrayal of doctors in literature, and more broadly the social and cultural life of early-twentieth century Paris.