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Reviews tagging 'Death'
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I by Lindsey Fitzharris
25 reviews
ptaradactyl's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Very good and informative. I was expecting the stories about medical treatment, but it was the stories of how brutal trench and naval warfare in WWI really was that left me shaken.
I enjoyed it, and I learned from it. But it’s not for those who can’t handle body trauma. It wasn’t gratuitous; it was needed to explain the needs for treatment and the scale of the injuries. But it horrific and tragic.
I enjoyed it, and I learned from it. But it’s not for those who can’t handle body trauma. It wasn’t gratuitous; it was needed to explain the needs for treatment and the scale of the injuries. But it horrific and tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Gore
angelofthetardis's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
We've all heard about, read about and probably studied at some point the First World War and the hideous waste of life. We see 'The Glorious Dead' honoured every year at the Cenotaph. We even consider those who were injured and lost limbs in museum exhibits (I'll never forget walking through the museum at Ypres on a school trip and walking over a mocked up battlefield, complete with severed arms, legs and hands poking out of the mud). But, strangely, it has never really occurred to me that limbs aren't the only things that could be destroyed by a bullet or a bomb. This books sheds light on some of those stories; of those that lost their faces, and of their subsequent treatment under the care of one man, Dr Harold Gillies.
First and foremost, this is incredibly well written. It takes the stories of each of the patients and Dr Gillies and treats them with such sensitivity, while also ensuring the reader has the facts and bringing some of the Doctor's personality and even humour into the narrative. Details of injuries are (for the most part) given in layman's terms and well illustrated with her words, while not being too graphic. Likewise, the author doesn't get bogged down in the horrors of warfare; the stories of the Somme and other battles, of the field hospitals and the overwhelming difficulties faced by all are stark and reflect the truth of the matter, but are not overstated. There are a few small moments where she repeats herself, which make it feel like she might have been a couple of hundred words off of the requested word count of the book, but it's such a minor thing it can certainly be overlooked in this case!
I'll admit this is one of the few times I haven't skipped ahead to look at the pictures; I was nervous about what I'd find as I'm reading this of an evening and my brain has ways of keeping me up at night if I see something disturbing. However, as with the narrative, they are incredibly informative without being overtly shocking. I took them as a whole; the before, during and after images showing that patient's journey, and my takeaway wasn't about the debilitating injuries 'before', but rather a deep appreciation of the skill and genius of the surgeon that results in the 'after'. They really serve to bring home what the author is trying to convey.
Dr Gillies himself seems like a man way ahead of his time. The author doesn't hesitate to share the credit for discoveries with his contemporaries where appropriate, but his treatment of his patients, both medically and just on a human level, is incredible. You rejoice with him at his triumphs and lament with him at his losses, marvel at his thought processes and applaud his drive and hard work in the face of never-ending carnage. It's a real shame more people don't know his name!
This book is thought-provoking, insightful and brings to the fore an aspect of history that many more people should appreciate. The only reason I'm not going to rush out and buy it immediately is because it's more of a 'one and done' book, but I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone. It's absolutely worth your time.
First and foremost, this is incredibly well written. It takes the stories of each of the patients and Dr Gillies and treats them with such sensitivity, while also ensuring the reader has the facts and bringing some of the Doctor's personality and even humour into the narrative. Details of injuries are (for the most part) given in layman's terms and well illustrated with her words, while not being too graphic. Likewise, the author doesn't get bogged down in the horrors of warfare; the stories of the Somme and other battles, of the field hospitals and the overwhelming difficulties faced by all are stark and reflect the truth of the matter, but are not overstated. There are a few small moments where she repeats herself, which make it feel like she might have been a couple of hundred words off of the requested word count of the book, but it's such a minor thing it can certainly be overlooked in this case!
I'll admit this is one of the few times I haven't skipped ahead to look at the pictures; I was nervous about what I'd find as I'm reading this of an evening and my brain has ways of keeping me up at night if I see something disturbing. However, as with the narrative, they are incredibly informative without being overtly shocking. I took them as a whole; the before, during and after images showing that patient's journey, and my takeaway wasn't about the debilitating injuries 'before', but rather a deep appreciation of the skill and genius of the surgeon that results in the 'after'. They really serve to bring home what the author is trying to convey.
Dr Gillies himself seems like a man way ahead of his time. The author doesn't hesitate to share the credit for discoveries with his contemporaries where appropriate, but his treatment of his patients, both medically and just on a human level, is incredible. You rejoice with him at his triumphs and lament with him at his losses, marvel at his thought processes and applaud his drive and hard work in the face of never-ending carnage. It's a real shame more people don't know his name!
This book is thought-provoking, insightful and brings to the fore an aspect of history that many more people should appreciate. The only reason I'm not going to rush out and buy it immediately is because it's more of a 'one and done' book, but I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone. It's absolutely worth your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, Medical trauma, War, Medical content, Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
monnibo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Death, and War
no_u14's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, War, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Violence
sebrittainclark's review
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This was a fascinating look at the beginning of plastic surgery and specifically facial reconstruction surgery during World War 1. I really didn't know anything about the medical advances that took place around World War 1, so it was very interesting to learn about the factors that made survivable facial injuries more common, and the innovative work Dr. Gillies did to repair the damage.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and War
riddikulus25's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Violence
mayukiiq's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Death
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
An extraordinary history of the doctor who perfected plastic surgery and facial reconstruction on WWI soldiers whose faces had been destroyed. Dr Harold Gillies didn’t know much about facial reconstruction when he first began trying to save patients from a lifetime of isolation and depression caused by the stigma of facial disfigurement. He came to pioneer new methods of surgery that not only saved soldiers’ physical lives but their emotional lives as well.
For soldiers with mangled faces whose fiancées left them or whose children ran away screaming in terror, Dr Gillies was a savior. He suffered many failures as he was learning along the way but they were outstripped by his successes. He went on to perform facial reconstruction in WWII, working in private practice in times of peace. His two books on plastic surgery of the face are still valuable.
Lindsey Fitzharris gives an overview of the wartime medical complex on the Continent and its expansion to England, and shows how Gillies continued to grow his knowledge as he did all he could to return his patients to lives as normal as possible. An excellent medical history.
For soldiers with mangled faces whose fiancées left them or whose children ran away screaming in terror, Dr Gillies was a savior. He suffered many failures as he was learning along the way but they were outstripped by his successes. He went on to perform facial reconstruction in WWII, working in private practice in times of peace. His two books on plastic surgery of the face are still valuable.
Lindsey Fitzharris gives an overview of the wartime medical complex on the Continent and its expansion to England, and shows how Gillies continued to grow his knowledge as he did all he could to return his patients to lives as normal as possible. An excellent medical history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Death
julesandjude's review
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Fesselndes Buch über die Anfänge der plastischen Chirurgie
"Der Horror der frühen Chirurgie" erzählt die Geschichte des bahnbrechenden plastischen Chirurgen Harold Gillies, der sein Leben der Rekonstruktion der Gesichter der verletzten Soldaten widmete, die er während des Ersten Weltkriegs behandelte. Es ist ein erhellendes und teils erschütterndes Buch über die Anfänge der plastischen Chirurgie, den medizinischen Fortschritt und den Ersten Weltkrieg, erzählt durch berührende menschliche Geschichten.
Harold Gillies führte ein bemerkenswertes Leben, das die Grenzen der Chirurgie verschob und das Leben so vieler Menschen veränderte.
Er hatte eine bemerkenswerte Hingabe an seine Arbeit. Schon zu Beginn des Krieges erkannte er, wie schlecht die Wunden im Gesicht behandelt wurden und welche Folgen dies für die Soldaten hatte. Er setzte sich unermüdlich dafür ein, diesen Männern zu helfen und gründete ein spezielles Krankenhaus für Gesichtsverletzungen und deren Wiederherstellung.
Auch erkannte Gillies, dass nicht nur die Rekonstruktion an sich von Bedeutung war, sondern dass ebenso ein multidisziplinäres Team erforderlich war, um die Arbeit zum Erfolg zu führen. Er beschäftigte Chirurgen, Ärzte, Zahnärzte, Radiologen, Künstler, Bildhauer, Maskenbildner und Fotografen, die alle gemeinsam an der Rekonstruktion mitwirkten bzw. im Falle der Künstler und Fotografen die Arbeit dokumentierten. Einige dieser Kunstwerke und Fotografien sind auch heute noch erhalten.
Insgesamt war "Der Horror der frühen Chirurgie" ein aufschlussreiches Buch über einen faszinierenden Mann, auch wenn in der Erzählung der Fokus manchmal zu sehr von ihm und seinen Leistungen abdriftet. Trotzdem eine gut geschriebene Geschichte über die Brutalität des Ersten Weltkriegs, den Schaden, den er an den Körpern der Männer anrichtete und wie ein Pionier der plastischen Chirurgie lebensverändernde Arbeit leistete, indem er die Gesichter ehemaliger oder aktueller Soldaten rekonstruierte. Es ist so gut geschrieben, dass man manchmal fast vergisst, dass man ein Sachbuch liest.
Jeden, der sich für die Geschichte der Medizin interessiert, zu empfehlen.
"Der Horror der frühen Chirurgie" erzählt die Geschichte des bahnbrechenden plastischen Chirurgen Harold Gillies, der sein Leben der Rekonstruktion der Gesichter der verletzten Soldaten widmete, die er während des Ersten Weltkriegs behandelte. Es ist ein erhellendes und teils erschütterndes Buch über die Anfänge der plastischen Chirurgie, den medizinischen Fortschritt und den Ersten Weltkrieg, erzählt durch berührende menschliche Geschichten.
Harold Gillies führte ein bemerkenswertes Leben, das die Grenzen der Chirurgie verschob und das Leben so vieler Menschen veränderte.
Er hatte eine bemerkenswerte Hingabe an seine Arbeit. Schon zu Beginn des Krieges erkannte er, wie schlecht die Wunden im Gesicht behandelt wurden und welche Folgen dies für die Soldaten hatte. Er setzte sich unermüdlich dafür ein, diesen Männern zu helfen und gründete ein spezielles Krankenhaus für Gesichtsverletzungen und deren Wiederherstellung.
Auch erkannte Gillies, dass nicht nur die Rekonstruktion an sich von Bedeutung war, sondern dass ebenso ein multidisziplinäres Team erforderlich war, um die Arbeit zum Erfolg zu führen. Er beschäftigte Chirurgen, Ärzte, Zahnärzte, Radiologen, Künstler, Bildhauer, Maskenbildner und Fotografen, die alle gemeinsam an der Rekonstruktion mitwirkten bzw. im Falle der Künstler und Fotografen die Arbeit dokumentierten. Einige dieser Kunstwerke und Fotografien sind auch heute noch erhalten.
Insgesamt war "Der Horror der frühen Chirurgie" ein aufschlussreiches Buch über einen faszinierenden Mann, auch wenn in der Erzählung der Fokus manchmal zu sehr von ihm und seinen Leistungen abdriftet. Trotzdem eine gut geschriebene Geschichte über die Brutalität des Ersten Weltkriegs, den Schaden, den er an den Körpern der Männer anrichtete und wie ein Pionier der plastischen Chirurgie lebensverändernde Arbeit leistete, indem er die Gesichter ehemaliger oder aktueller Soldaten rekonstruierte. Es ist so gut geschrieben, dass man manchmal fast vergisst, dass man ein Sachbuch liest.
Jeden, der sich für die Geschichte der Medizin interessiert, zu empfehlen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Medical content, Blood, and Gore
peachani's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, War, Gore, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror and Medical trauma
Minor: Body shaming, Vomit, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts