War Doctor
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Average rating4.5
#1 International Bestseller: A frontline trauma surgeon tells his “riveting” true story of operating in the world’s most dangerous war zones (The Times). For more than twenty-five years, surgeon David Nott has volunteered in some of the world’s most perilous conflict zones. From Sarajevo under siege in 1993 to clandestine hospitals in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, he has carried out lifesaving operations in the most challenging conditions, and with none of the resources of a major metropolitan hospital. He is now widely acknowledged as the most experienced trauma surgeon in the world. War Doctor is his extraordinary story, encompassing his surgeries in nearly every major conflict zone since the end of the Cold War, as well as his struggles to return to a “normal” life and routine after each trip. Culminating in his recent trips to war-torn Syria—and the untold story of his efforts to help secure a humanitarian corridor out of besieged Aleppo to evacuate some 50,000 people—War Doctor is a heart-stopping and moving blend of medical memoir, personal journey, and nonfiction thriller that provides unforgettable, at times raw, insight into the human toll of war. “Superb . . . You are constantly amazed that men such as Nott can witness the extraordinary cruelties of the human race, so many and so foul, yet keep going.” —Sunday Times “Gripping and fascinating medical stories.” —Kirkus Reviews
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“But actually it's quite simple: I don't get to choose who I work on.”
I am not a doctor. I don't have medical inclinations, a background in medicine, or the ability to look at blood without feeling faint. I do, however, feel compassion for my fellow human, and this book really spoke to that part of me.
I lack the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to be able to dive headfirst into conflict zones and save lives like David Nott, though, who takes the reader on a trip through his 25 years of experience doing just that. From Sarajevo to Syria and many places in between, we're taken on an in-depth journey into how tragic and complex trauma surgery can be on the front lines. We also get to see inside Nott's head as he experiences these locations, and how deeply impacted he was throughout his career.
There is a lot of graphic surgery descriptions in this book, and the topics discussed are incredibly heavy. I almost put this book down like three times throughout reading it when I thought I had read something particularly sad, poignant, and graphic. I kept going back, though, which I suppose is the mark of a really good book. Do not read this book if trauma stories aren't your thing, or if heartwrenching stories affect you more than most. This is a really sad book, but it's incredibly powerful and a testament to Nott's selflessness that he kept going as long as he did.
