Mad, Bad and Dangerous?

'Christopher Frayling's entertaining and illuminating book focuses on emblematic films ... [Frayling] looks at changing representations of scientists and the social anxieties they gave expression to.' - Financial Times 'Frayling's book, visually enhanced by scores of black-and-white illustrations, successfully breaks through the walls that often separate art and science. The end product is a highly readable, jargon-free account of scientists on screen that will appeal to both cinema buffs and scientific boffins.' - Scotland on Sunday 'Frayling has reviewed in detail the changing role and perception of scientists in more than a hundred years of cinema [...] He covers films [...] rigorously, detailing lost or forgotten reels with the precision and loving hand of a devoted film historian.' - Nature 'a splendidly impartial account of how scientists have been portrayed [...] This most entertaining book has wide appeal. The illustrations have been carefully selected, and there is a long list of references. Above all, it has been meticulously researched.' - Patrick Moore, The Times Higher Education Supplement 'Christopher Frayling's book characterises several thematic variations in the portrayal of scientists and doctors in Western cinema, from silent movies to modern blockbusters. He has cast his net widely, studying posters and publicity stills as well as films and scripts, and compiled an entertaining survey.' - British Medical Journal