In this beautiful atlas, Cor Cremers and Jef Mulder have put together the knowledge and experience gained in four decades of practicing and teaching microsurgical procedures. To be able to teach the basic approaches of modern temporal bone surgery using only one temporal bone represents a masterly performance. Since the number of temporal bones available for dissection is becoming progressively scarce, it is clear that the authors have turned a need into a great virtue. The precise text and the splendid illustrations are also an expression of the authors' special talent in conveying essential surgical information in its most concise form. The first seven chapters describe conventional middle era surgical interventions. The following nine chapters deal with surgical procedures involving the complex anatomy of the medial part of the temporal bone.

Since the late sixties, the development of lateral skull base surgery has widened the horizon of middle ear surgery. Important medial structures of the temporal bone, such as the jugular bulb, facial nerve, internal carotid artery and middle and posterior fossa dura, which were previously considered untouchable, have changed from enemies to reliable friends. However, the transformation of middle ear into temporal bone surgery requires precise knowledge of the anatomical landmarks, permitting adequate handling of the most hidden structures of the temporal bone.

This atlas accomplishes with admirable ease the difficult task to acquaint the inexperienced otologist with the surgical strategies needed to carry out safely the most relevant procedures of temporal bone surgery. The experienced otologist will also find valuable hints on how to solve special problems of his daily work. These goals are reached through the great experience and the admirable didactic skill of the authors. There is no doubt that the atlas will find the success that it deserves.