Struck Down By The Gods – the translation of the ancient word for stroke or apoplexy – explores one of medicine’s most misunderstood conditions.
In this deeply researched book, acclaimed teacher, professor and neurologist Peter Gates brings more than 40 years’ experience in examining the different types of strokes, the medical conditions often confused with it and the practical steps we can take to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Timely, thought-provoking and drawing on centuries of medical evidence, Struck Down By The Gods helps readers better understand their bodies and take informed steps towards protecting their long-term heart and brain health.
Professor Peter Gates is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Melbourne University and Affiliate Professor at Deakin University with more than 40-years’ experience in clinical neurology. He was the first neurologist to live and work outside of Melbourne and established a neurology unit in Geelong. He has participated in several major international trials of stroke, authored chapters on stroke in textbooks and published over 60 original papers. He is recognised as an outstanding teacher and has written a highly acclaimed textbook of neurology, Clinical Neurology A Cure for Neurophobia (fear of neurology). He has created an educational website and undertaken international teaching in Fiji, Rwanda and Sri Lanka.
• Struck Down By The Gods is a unique book that explains diverse types of stroke, their causes, prevention (with an emphasis on smoking and obesity) and treatment.
• The book also goes into detail on what individuals can do to reduce their risk of stroke (and heart attack) including challenging the concept of food pyramids, healthy eating and so much more.
• Drawing on irrefutable autopsy evidence, the book questions the common belief that high blood pressure, cholesterol, genetics and other risk factors cause atherosclerosis — the hardening of the arteries linked to most heart attacks and many strokes. It argues that atherosclerosis often begins decades earlier, and can develop even when these risk factors are not present.
• Devotes several chapters to obesity and weight loss.
• Explains the difference between absolute and relative risk and benefit for the individual vs the community.
• Calls for a change in the way industry funded research is conducted and published.
• Contains a great deal of historical information.
• Struck Down By The Gods is highly informative for the lay audience, well-established neurologists, students of medicine, other healthcare disciplines as well as early career trainees.
Publicity: Target key stroke and cardiology networks (e.g. the American Stroke Association and Heart Foundation, alongside possible publicity outreach to the Stroke Foundation’s professional and patient communities. The Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists’ 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting (Sydney, 23–26 June) provides a strong media hook, supported by potential broadcast coverage, including a proposed interview with journalist Tony Walker.
