“The decision to write a book at 86 years shows not only a lack of self-awareness but also excessive or rather pathological optimism. It reminds me of the joke about the lady who, when asked what she predicts for her future, replied: 'I will die at the age of 95 from a violent death in a fit of jealousy.'

Today, all civilized countries have their own health care systems. Each may think that theirs is the best, except for Greece, where only lunatics could claim that the National Health System is good.

This book is divided into four parts. The first part details the evolution of the English National Health Service. This chapter is quite extensive because I doubt that in any other country the National Health Service has been studied so thoroughly. The literature on the NHS is very extensive and consists of books, journal articles, and memoranda from the ministry (HMSO publications).

Knowledge of history is the only way to avoid new mistakes, although it does not...