Fifty-five Years of Excellence – Landmark text Chandler and Grant’s Glaucoma enters its sixth edition

Posted by Tony Schiavo on Jun 29th 2021

Fifty-five Years of Excellence – Landmark text Chandler and Grant’s Glaucoma enters its sixth edition

After over 25 years in publishing, there are only a few books I have worked on whose lifespan exceeds my own. One of these is Chandler and Grant’s Glaucoma, the classic text that has been the go-to reference on glaucoma treatment for approaching 60 years. 

Now entering its sixth edition, Chandler and Grant’s Glaucoma first appeared in 1965 as a work entitled Lectures in Glaucoma by Dr. Paul A. Chandler and Dr. W. Morton Grant. When the first edition released, Dr. Chandler and Dr. Grant had already served at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary for over two decades and together held weekly coffee seminars where they discussed the latest advances in glaucoma research and treatment. Lectures in Glaucoma was the fruit of their years of collaboration. 

The instant it published, Lectures in Glaucoma became a watershed text. Archives of Ophthalmology (now JAMA Ophthalmology) called the text, “outstanding,” highlighting the section on gonioscopy as particularly masterful. The review concluded saying, “This book contains a wealth of significant, useful information. It is highly recommended for every ophthalmologist.” (Vol. 76, July 1966). 

The original book was updated in 1979, becoming simply Glaucoma, and again in 1986 when the third edition became formally Chandler and Grant’s Glaucoma. As the original great men had now retired (Dr. Grant passing away in 1986), editorial supervision of the text passed to another legendary figure in glaucoma treatment, Dr. David L. Epstein. Under Dr. Epstein’s care, the work continued to flourish. In a review published in British Journal of Ophthalmology, the third edition was declared, “beautifully presented, clearly written, and has of course an impeccable pedigree.” (1987, Vol. 71, p. 76). A review in Retina called this edition, “An absolute must for residents and all practitioners who see significant glaucoma population.” (winter/spring 1986, Volume 6, issue 1, p. 71). A fourth edition, also under the editorial direction of Dr. Epstein, published in 1997. 

Chandler & Grant's Glaucoma, 6e

After a long hiatus of 16 years, SLACK was honored to obtain the rights to this monumental text for the publication of a fifth edition in 2013. Again, the editorial leadership would change with Dr. Epstein passing the torch to two of the hardest working docs in ophthalmology today, Dr. Joel S. Schuman and Dr. Malik Y. Kahook. For this edition, Dr. Schuman and Dr. Kahook undertook a much-needed “modernization” of the content and their effort left Dr. Epstein in awe. In the preface of the 5th edition, he wrote: “I am very impressed with the exceptionally high quality of their achievement. They have greatly improved the textbook with expertise well beyond my capabilities.” 

Now in 2021, Dr. Kahook and Dr. Schuman have combined again to put together a sixth edition of this landmark text, incorporating the warp-speed innovations in glaucoma treatment which have occurred since 2013. Find out more about the new edition and order a copy here

We here at SLACK are honored to be part of this continuing tradition of excellence, transmitting the very best information on glaucoma research, practice, and management to the next generation of ophthalmologists. Thanks to Dr. Kahook, Dr. Schuman, and the dozens of glaucoma specialists who contributed to this gigantic undertaking. I suspect Dr. Chandler and Dr. Grant, whose likenesses grace the front of the Sixth Edition, would be very pleased indeed to know that their legacies carry on in such an impressive way.



Tony Schiavo is Senior Acquisitions Editor at SLACK in charge of the Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Tech book publishing programs. If you have an idea for a new book, feel free to reach out to him. Tony is always ready to talk about the next great publication.