His historical research has resulted in two books: A Surgical Artist at War (co-written with Peter Starling), a study of Sir Charles Bell's illustrations of battle injuries from Corunna and Waterloo, and Men of Steel, a comprehensive account of military surgery in the Republican and Imperial French wars. He has lectured internationally, acted as an advisor for media programmes and films, including Master and Commander, and he is curator and archivist at the Royal College of Surgeons.