Doctor at Large (17 page)

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Authors: Richard Gordon

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‘By jove, old chap, what a terrif. idea! I’ll certainly do that. Well, thanks a lot, old chap.’

‘Don’t mench, old chap,’ I said. My happiness was complete.

‘Doctor Series’ Titles

(in order of first publication)

 

These titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

 

1.
 
Doctor in the House
 
1952
2.
 
Doctor at Sea
 
1953
3.
 
Doctor at Large
 
1955
4.
 
Doctor in Love
 
1957
5.
 
Doctor and Son
 
1959
6.
 
Doctor in Clover
 
1960
7.
 
Doctor on Toast
 
1961
8.
 
Doctor in the Swim
 
1962
9.
 
Love and Sir Lancelot
 
1965
10.
 
The Summer of Sir Lancelot
 
1965
11.
 
Doctor on the Boil
 
1970
12.
 
Doctor on the Brain
 
1972
13.
 
Doctor in the Nude
 
1973
14.
 
Doctor on the Job
 
1976
15.
 
Doctor in the Nest
 
1979
16.
 
Doctor’s Daughters
 
1981
17.
 
Doctor on the Ball
 
1985
18.
 
Doctor in the Soup
 
1986
Humorous Novels

(in order of first publication)

 

1.
 
The Captain’s Table
 
 
 
1954
2.
 
Nuts in May
 
 
 
1964
3.
 
Good Neighbours
 
 
 
1976
4.
 
Happy Families
 
 
 
1978
5.
 
Dr. Gordon’s Casebook
 
 
 
1982
6.
 
Great Medical Disasters
 
 
 
1983
7.
 
Great Medical Mysteries
 
 
 
1984
More Serious Works

(in order of first publication)

 

1.
 
The Facemaker
 
1967
2.
 
Surgeon at Arms
 
1968
2.
 
The Invisible Victory
 
1977
3.
 
The Private Life of Florence Nightingale
 
1978
2.
 
The Private Life of Jack the Ripper
 
1980
3.
 
The Private Life of Dr. Crippen
 
1981
Synopses

Published by House of Stratus

 

The Captain’s Table
When William Ebbs is taken from a creaking cargo boat and made Captain of a luxury liner, he quickly discovers that the sea holds many perils…probably the most perilous being the first night dinner, closely followed by the dangers of finding a woman in his room. Then there is the embarrassing presence of the shipping company’s largest shareholder, a passenger over board and blackmail. The Captain’s Table is a tale of nautical misadventure and mayhem packed with rib-tickling humour.
‘An original humorist with a sly wit and a quick eye for the ridiculous’ – Queen
Doctor and Son
Recovering from the realisation that his honeymoon was not quite as he had anticipated, Simon Sparrow can at least look forward to a life of tranquillity and order as a respectable homeowner with a new wife. But that was before his old friend Dr Grimsdyke took to using their home as a place of refuge from his various misdemeanours…and especially from the incident with the actress which demanded immediate asylum. Surely one such houseguest was enough without the appearance of Simon’s godfather, the eminent Sir Lancelot Spratt. Chaos and mayhem in the Sparrow household can mean only one thing – more comic tales from Richard Gordon’s hilarious doctor series.
‘Further unflaggingly funny addition to Simon Sparrow’s medical saga’ – Daily Telegraph
Doctor at Large
Dr Richard Gordon’s first job after qualifying takes him to St Swithan’s where he is enrolled as Junior Casualty House Surgeon. However, some rather unfortunate incidents with Mr Justice Hopwood, as well as one of his patients inexplicably coughing up nuts and bolts, mean that promotion passes him by – and goes instead to Bingham, his odious rival. After a series of disastrous interviews, Gordon cuts his losses and visits a medical employment agency. To his disappointment, all the best jobs have already been snapped up, but he could always turn to general practice…
Doctor at Sea
Richard Gordon’s life was moving rapidly towards middle-aged lethargy – or so he felt. Employed as an assistant in general practice – the medical equivalent of a poor curate – and having been ‘persuaded’ that marriage is as much an obligation for a young doctor as celibacy for a priest, Richard sees the rest of his life stretching before him. Losing his nerve, and desperately in need of an antidote, he instead signs on with the Fathom Steamboat Company. What follows is a hilarious tale of nautical diseases and assorted misadventures at sea. Yet he also becomes embroiled in a mystery – what is in the Captain’s stomach remedy? And more to the point, what on earth happened to the previous doctor?
‘Sheer unadulterated fun’ – Star
Doctor in Clover
Now Dr Grimsdyke is qualified he finds practising medicine rather less congenial than he anticipated. But the ever-selfless Grimsdyke resolves to put the desires of others (and in particular his rather career-minded cousin) before his own, and settle down and make the best of it. Finding the right job, however, is not always that easy. Porterhampton is suddenly rife with difficulties – as is being a waiter, as is being a writer. And writing obituaries is just plain depressing.
Doctor in Clover
finds the hapless Grimsdyke in a hilarious romp through misadventures, mishaps and total disasters.
Doctor in Love
In this hilarious romantic comedy, Richard Gordon awakes one morning with a headache. It takes him a while to realise he is ill – after all he is a doctor! Dr Pennyworth diagnoses jaundice and prescribes a spell in hospital. But amongst the bedpans and injections on Honesty ward, Richard falls in love – with his very own Florence Nightingale. However he soon learns that he has a rival for her affections, and unwilling to lose his love to the pachyderm Dr Hinyman, Richard sets out to impress… More medical mayhem from the hilarious Richard Gordon.
Doctor in the House
Richard Gordon’s acceptance into St Swithan’s medical school came as no surprise to anyone, least of all him – after all, he had been to public school, played first XV rugby, and his father was, let’s face it, ‘a St Swithan’s man’. Surely he was set for life. It was rather a shock then to discover that, once there, he would actually have to work, and quite hard. Fortunately for Richard Gordon, life proved not to be all dissection and textbooks after all… This hilarious hospital comedy is perfect reading for anyone who’s ever wondered exactly what medical students get up to in their training. Just don’t read it on your way to the doctor’s!
‘Uproarious, extremely iconoclastic’ – Evening News
‘A delightful book’ – Sunday Times
Doctor in the Nest
Sir Lancelot Sprat, surgeon and patriot, is finding that his faith in the British National Health Service is taking a bit of a battering – especially when the ceiling of his operating theatre collapses. It had already been a bad day…a call from Nairobi, a disagreement with Miss MacNish over the breakfast haddock, and a visit from Sir Lionel… Sir Lancelot’s single-handed battle to save St Sepulchre’s Hospital from closure creates a hilarious tale, complicated by two ex-students and three ladies only too willing to satisfy a widower’s sexual desires.
Doctor in the Nude
Mrs Samantha Dougal is against it. Nudity that is. In a Soho strip-club, the Dean of St Swithan’s Hospital feigns indifference. Mrs Dougal’s husband, however, is totally in favour – and has just moved in with the Dean, who just happens to be his brother-in-law. The jokes positively spill from this elegantly written and languorously witty tale that includes Sir Lancelot, the Queen, a totally impractical new building, and the voluptuous young daughter of the trendy hospital chaplain.
‘The jokes spill forth fresh and funny… Not a book to read on a train: it’s impossible to keep a straight face’ – Sunday Telegraph

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