Current knowledge of medicine is a vast ocean of new ideas and fresh data. New recommendations and guidelines are accumulating at a rate that the practitioner has difficulty keeping up with. Postgraduates in obstetrics must keep abreast with this knowledge, not only to face their examinations but also to be able to go forth in their career and provide the best support to the women under their care. The fourth edition of The Management of Labour has been updated extensively to enable the obstetrician to provide the safest care for the woman in labour. The book has been divided into clear, rational, practical, and well-illustrated sections that progress from the physiology of labour to the management of normal and complicated labour. New concepts in patient care such as enhanced recovery after cesarean (ERAC) have been included to make the book absolutely current. To help the obstetrician acquire balanced and comprehensive skills, immediate postpartum care, management of the normal and abnormal puerperium, the immediate care of the newborn in the labour room and neonatal resuscitation have also been included. To round off the book, respectful maternity care and the role of the birth companion are important issues that have been addressed in a dedicated chapter. Important information has been presented in tables, algorithms, and ‘key points’ for easy recall. Contributions from experts in the field make this book a practical and real-world guide to the practice of obstetrics. The focus is clearly on the parturient and the common problems faced in labour. Evidence-based recommendations present the obstetric caregiver with unambiguous and precise clinical guidelines. The postgraduate student as well as the practitioner will find this book an invaluable companion in the practice of obstetrics