Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Blood'
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I by Lindsey Fitzharris
19 reviews
sciencekoala's review against another edition
5.0
If you have any interest in surgery, history, WWI, medicine, or biography- I strongly recommend you read this book.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Blood, Death, Gore, and War
readwithmarie23's review
5.0
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Moderate: Mental illness and Grief
Minor: Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Medical trauma
cyberhavok's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Body shaming, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, War, Ableism, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
beepbeep101's review
4.5
Graphic: Gore, War, Medical content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Ableism, Medical trauma, Gun violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
ninoshmino's review
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, and War
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
5.0
The author begins his book with a Note to the Reader explaining how facial injury, disfigurement, and surgical repair is a difficult subject to address. He says his efforts are to help the reader understand the subject without overwhelming them with details. I think this was accomplished and there were many honest descriptions of facial injuries without going into any unnecessary graphic detail. In the physical and digital editions, there are some photos of the assorted pioneers whose careers, both surgical and non-surgical, were focused on helping provide dignity to patients with severe facial injuries. There are also a handful of photos that document the injuries and repair, and none are too much. I thought I might have to gloss over those pictures, but I was able to look and it was okay.
Bottom line, war is ugly and savage, particularly at a time when chemical weapons and trench warfare were the norm. The early part of the book sets the grim stage for the reader to appreciate the grave risk faced by all military in WWI. And to balance the heartbreak of various specific examples, the reward is how heartening it is to know the many experts who dedicated themselves to helping these men, sometimes even being right out there on the battlefield with them. It’s a complete and satisfying account of the aftermath caused by one war so many decades ago… aspects of war that are as far from glamorous as you can imagine, but important to be aware of.
Graphic: Medical content, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Death
Minor: Blood
lego28's review
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and War
ptaradactyl's review against another edition
4.25
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.
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Gore
angelofthetardis's review
5.0
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.
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
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Death, and War