The Guru, the Bagman and the Sceptic: A story of science, sex and psychoanalysis

A witty book about the intertwined lives of psychoanalyst Ernest Jones, surgeon Wilfred Trotter, and the guru of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, explores the development of psychoanalysis and the sexual obsessions of intellectual and bohemian circles in London, Cambridge, and Vienna. It covers a pivotal thirty years in European history and reveals how the writings of a failed neurologist from Vienna became so influential.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 01 February 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Ernest Jones, a Welsh-born psychoanalyst, held a close relationship with Sigmund Freud and was considered one of his most devoted disciples. Possessing a sharp intellect, confidence, and an ambitious nature, Jones actively promoted psychoanalysis as a secular religion. Alongside his friend Wilfred Trotter, a renowned surgeon who saved the life of George V and became Freud's patient during his London exile, Trotter resisted the allure of the new Freudianism. Trotter, known for his quintessentially English demeanor, possessed a disdain for slick medical careerists, distrusted grand theories, and lacked self-importance and pomposity.

This captivating book by Seamus O Mahony unfolds the story of these three figures and their interconnected lives, showcasing his customary wit and erudition. It delves not only into the development of psychoanalysis but also explores the sexual obsessions of intellectual and bohemian circles in London, Cambridge, and Vienna, as well as the Bloomsbury movement. It sheds light on the pursuit of wealth and fame by doctors within these circles. Spanning a pivotal thirty years in European history, this book reveals the profound influence that the writings of a failed neurologist from Vienna had on the world.

Ernest Jones, a Welsh-born psychoanalyst, held a close relationship with Sigmund Freud and was considered one of his most devoted disciples. Possessing a sharp intellect, confidence, and an ambitious nature, Jones actively promoted psychoanalysis as a secular religion. Alongside his friend Wilfred Trotter, a renowned surgeon who saved the life of George V and became Freud's patient during his London exile, Trotter resisted the allure of the new Freudianism. Trotter, known for his quintessentially English demeanor, possessed a disdain for slick medical careerists, distrusted grand theories, and lacked self-importance and pomposity.

This captivating book by Seamus O Mahony unfolds the story of these three figures and their interconnected lives, showcasing his customary wit and erudition. It delves not only into the development of psychoanalysis but also explores the sexual obsessions of intellectual and bohemian circles in London, Cambridge, and Vienna, as well as the Bloomsbury movement. It sheds light on the pursuit of wealth and fame by doctors within these circles. Spanning a pivotal thirty years in European history, this book reveals the profound influence that the writings of a failed neurologist from Vienna had on the world.

Weight: 268g
Dimension: 127 x 198 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781803285665