Stroke is an enormous health problem. It is the third major cause of death, and the major cause of adult neurological disability. As many as a quarter of women in their 80s may suffer stroke. It represents a huge financial burden for the NHS, costing more than heart disease. Stroke care has historically been poor in many places but a revolution in care is taking place as a result of specific treatments such as stroke units and thrombolysis, which have been shown to markedly improve outcome. This has led to many countries reorganising the way they offer stroke care. Stroke Medicine is a practical handbook for the practising physician. Written by a multidisciplinary team of three practising consultants from a leading UK stroke service, it provides an up-to-date and easily accessible source of information on all aspects of stroke care from acute care, through to rehabilitation and secondary prevention. Designed to be used both on the ward and in the outpatient room, it provides a practical approach to managing the stroke patient, and is an invaluable source of information for stroke physicians, neurologists, geriatricians and other specialists involved in the care of stroke patients. It will also prove to be a useful handbook for consultants and doctors in training. Designed to cover the curriculum of the UK Specialist Stroke training programme for clinicians in training, it is likely to provide similar levels of coverage for emerging stroke training programmes in other parts of the world.