Book excerpt: The bullous or blistering diseases of the skin are a very diverse group of dermatolgical conditions that range from those that are unpleasant but should be very simple to treat to those that are life-threatening. There have been many exciting discoveries concerning some of these conditions made in other fields, of which Dermatologists need to be fully aware. This highly illustrated text from a world pioneer in research and treatment for some of these diseases will be of great value in setting out the criteria for diagnosis and management.