A History of Child Psychoanalysis. By Claudine & Pierre Geissmann. New Library of Psychoanalysis No. 30.  Routledge.

A History of Child Psychoanalysis is a scholarly work on the subject. The book is divided into four sections:

Part I The Day Before Yesterday: Beginnings in Vienna (1905-20)

Part II Yesterday: two schools, two cities — Vienna, Berlin, London (1920-45)

Part III Today: Spread of child psychoanalysis throughout the world from 1945

Part IV And tomorrow?

The translation from the French, closely overseen by the Editor, Elizabeth Spillius, is satisfactory. However, the chapters do not easily ‘flow’. This may be due to the authors’ copious use of documents and letters to illustrate their points, which at times may detract from the overall focus of their exposition.

The authors have taken great care to give a balanced and well-informed chronological view of the relevant scientific developments. These are understood within the social and cultural context of the period. References to the personal histories of the psychoanalysts involved are brought in only to delineate and highlight their scientific contributions. The authors’ balanced approach is clearly the strength of the book. However, I suggest that the attempt to be fair and all-inclusive may also be a limitation of the book. Important points and arguments, such as the contributions of Melanie Klein and Anna Freud, are woven throughout several chapters without necessarily a clear view or conclusion from the authors. This apparent lack of clear ‘pointers’ may make the reader's experience less fruitful than intended.

An attractive feature is the inclusion of chapters on child analysis outside Britain, including North and South America and France. I found the chapters on the early French pioneers Eugénie Sokolnicka and Sophie Morgenstern very interesting. I anticipate the chapters on developments in Argentina may also attract the attention of Anglo-Saxon readers, unfamiliar with the history of child analysis in distant lands.

I found it useful to learn about the history of the development of ‘Child Guidance Centre’ and community ch