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737 reviews for:
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I
Lindsey Fitzharris
4.28 AVERAGE
737 reviews for:
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I
Lindsey Fitzharris
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
dark
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
You will sure learn some new ways humans are capable of inflicting injury on each other. It's very matter-of-fact and detailed when it comes to war injuries, while at the same time it isn't all cold medical facts. Great care was taken in presenting the stories of those disfigured by war, both the medical side and the human side. Highly recommended for those who want to learn more about this aspect of history.
The book begins with a short history of WWI itself, medical care in the army, as well as the histories of Harold Gilles and the other doctors developing plastic surgery techniques. I was disgusted and yet not surprised about the fact that the army stopped employing dentists once munitions had evolved so that soldiers no longer needed to rip open cartridges with their teeth. I liked that some time was spent covering women who, while not plastic surgeons, contributed to helping disfigured soldiers by creating life-like full-face masks. So interesting!
There are some amazing tales of hope and ingenuity in this book. Some of these injuries I couldn't begin to think how they might repair, and yet they managed success in both cosmetic and quality of life repairs. It's hard to think that some of these soldiers were unable to eat, had difficulty keeping their airway clear, and in some cases couldn't even close their eyes. While thinking of the reality is harrowing, and not all cases end well, it makes me appreciate the team who was working hard through the war to solve these issues.
I also appreciated the epilogue, about the continuing work of Harold Gillies in the field of plastic surgery. I was surprised to learn he was the first surgeon to perform a phalloplasty for a trans man in 1949!
The audiobook narration was engaging, with just the right mix of factual reporting and emotional acknowledgement.
The book begins with a short history of WWI itself, medical care in the army, as well as the histories of Harold Gilles and the other doctors developing plastic surgery techniques. I was disgusted and yet not surprised about the fact that the army stopped employing dentists once munitions had evolved so that soldiers no longer needed to rip open cartridges with their teeth. I liked that some time was spent covering women who, while not plastic surgeons, contributed to helping disfigured soldiers by creating life-like full-face masks. So interesting!
There are some amazing tales of hope and ingenuity in this book. Some of these injuries I couldn't begin to think how they might repair, and yet they managed success in both cosmetic and quality of life repairs. It's hard to think that some of these soldiers were unable to eat, had difficulty keeping their airway clear, and in some cases couldn't even close their eyes. While thinking of the reality is harrowing, and not all cases end well, it makes me appreciate the team who was working hard through the war to solve these issues.
I also appreciated the epilogue, about the continuing work of Harold Gillies in the field of plastic surgery. I was surprised to learn he was the first surgeon to perform a phalloplasty for a trans man in 1949!
The audiobook narration was engaging, with just the right mix of factual reporting and emotional acknowledgement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, War, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A truly touching and comprehensive history of the people who dealt with the human fallout from WWI. This history of the origins of plastic surgery and facial reconstruction is meticulous, and I love reading Fitzharris’s narrative. The reader gets to know all facets of the players - personalities, motivations, actions, and impact. This is also an extremely sensitive and respectful portrait, and I valued that very much. There are photos to supplement the narrative, and I wished I could see everything and everyone described.
Great book for medical history, oddity, military history, and general history fans.
Great book for medical history, oddity, military history, and general history fans.
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
there were some parts i thought were repeated verbatim but it was a good book. despite the sections where the surgeries were described, it wasn't hard to get lost in medical jargon and it was nice to be able to follow along with the each person's story even after their surgeries.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced