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War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line Kindle Edition

by David Nott (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,386 ratings
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#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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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
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  4. Publisher
    ABRAMS Press
  5. Publication date
    March 3, 2020
  6. File size
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Editorial Reviews

Review

- So powerful and honest. Extraordinary. Elizabeth Buchan, author of The New Mrs Clifton and I Can't Begin to Tell You

- One of the most brutally vivid evocations of modern warfare that you will read . . . superb, unforgettable, simply written and painfully clear . . . 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. Be warned: this is a powerful but often traumatic read. Sunday Times

A triumph: a love letter to surgery, and to helping others in extremis. Reading it is much like being taken apart and put together again in a fascinating way. It reveals a fascinating man whose life is a lesson in what good you can do with privilege . . . I spent the entire time wishing that David Nott would become our prime minister . . . This book is neither tidy, nor easy, yet it is so important. War Doctor is a reminder that we are all in this together, and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. - Christie Watson, Daily Telegraph

- Riveting . . . Nott is no ordinary doctor, as this dramatic telling of his extraordinary life makes clear. Ian Birrell, The Times

- As a surgeon myself, I can only look on what he has achieved with complete awe, overwhelmed by his heroism and compassion as much as by the world's cruelty. Henry March, author of Do No Harm, New Statesman

- His stories of courage and compassion in the face of seemingly certain death are breathtaking . . . If a film about his life isn't already in development, someone's missing a trick. Fiona Sturges, The Guardian

- A devastating account of two decades volunteering his services to some of the world's most dangerous places. Helen Brown, Daily Mail

- A stand out memoir by a vascular surgeon in the NHS who volunteered for more than twenty years in war zones. Daily Record

- Extraordinary. - Independent

About the Author

David Nott is a consultant surgeon, specializing in general and vascular surgery. He has also volunteered to work in disaster and war zones for over two decades. He lives in London.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07WWGLY7Z
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ABRAMS Press (March 3, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 3, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2641 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,386 ratings

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David Nott

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
5,386 global ratings
Gran experiencia humana y medica
4 Stars
Gran experiencia humana y medica
Excepcional cronica de una vida dedicada a la cirugia y a las misiones humanitarias. Los relatos son vibrantes y estremecedores. Y ademas, una gran fuente de inspiracion para quienes nos dedicamos a la cirugia de urgencias ....Felicitaciones , Dr Nott!
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Top reviews from the United States

Laurie Kelley
5.0 out of 5 stars He has saved the world, then
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2020
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An incredible, gripping book about the life journey of a humble man who became a doctor, and eventually devoted his life to working in conflict zones. Conflict zone is too sanitized a phrase: this man has gone to hell and back. You cannot even calculate the difference that David Nott has made in this difficult world. He not only takes us to places like Darfur, Haiti, Aleppo, Gaza, Sarajevo, Yemen, and Libya, he gives us insights into how his work there developed and changed him, his philosophies and his insight into himself. He realistically chronicles his feelings, sights and thoughts about the horrors he witnesses, and how he takes action to make a positive difference.

He is so humble that when I first started reading, I wondered if it would be an interesting read at all. It’s a slow build up, and then you cannot put the book down. Nott describes the difference in working with a large NGO like Doctors Without Borders, why he branched out to found his own organization. Not everyone can work for the big NGOs. He brings us into the surgical rooms in crumbling hospitals that are besieged by bombs; we see the victims enter, suffer, get healed or die; the pressure on the medical teams and the sacrifices they make, and the effect that years of conflict zones have on the psyche.

I’ve been to 35 developing countries for medical humanitarian work and into some dicey places but nothing like this. David Nott deserves maximum respect. He epitomizes the famous saying found in the Talmud and Koran, which he quotes twice in his book: He who saves a life, saves the world. It’s one of my favorite sayings, and the name of the nonprofit I founded, Save One Life. We need more David Notts in this world, and the world is at least blessed to have this extraordinary human being.
11 people found this helpful
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Victoria S.. Schmidt
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Emotional Read
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2021
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I didn’t want to stop reading this book. What a life and what a beautiful passion David Nott had for helping people in their most vulnerable conditions. War is such a mindless, ill thought, enterprise that leaves human beings without hope. The way Dr. David brought hope to physicians and patients was heroic and profound. Who among us can say they’ve been able to do that. Thank you, Dr. David for your lifetime and passionate work.
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Elisabeth Price
4.0 out of 5 stars A tragic world and an amazing doctor.
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2021
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This is different from other physician memoirs: while Dr Nott tries hard to avoid self-glorification, the material itself is so dramatic and the horrors he traverses are so extreme, that it is hard to see him as anything other than a superhero. The very fact that he continually survives situations of the most extreme danger one can (or maybe cannot) imagine, sets him up as a figure of invulnerability - and the miracle lies in the fact that he (obviously) is not. In his wild enthusiasm, he transgresses against some rules of Doctors Without Borders and is fired from that organisation, very naturally feeling hurt because of his colossal investments into it of human energy, time and money, but he slides over this incident and concentrates, as he did in life, on how he succeeded in continuing his work anyway. He is more than an individual doctor, he is a term leader, a teacher, a founder of schools and courses, and a political negotiator, and against all odds he wins a remarkable number of times. He is also a pilot and freely admits that he is addicted to the adrenalin produced by extreme danger and he tries, at least, not to be proud of it. He gives up flying professionally because his experience shows him that he cannot do surgery safely while keeping to a two-career schedule. His talents are breathtaking, the tension of his life is extreme, and as an operator at all levels, he is both shrewd and humane. In fact, he is a hero of such extreme dimensions that some more ordinary people may find his book too hard to read: the horror of 21st century warfare in Africa and the Middle East is too great for most of us to bear the blow by blow descriptions of what he is able to go through - since most of us quite simply cannot. I had to skip over some of the deepest horrors. That said, I admire his way of describing quite complex surgeries in terms easily understood by an educated layman - he does not presuppose knowledge of medicine and surgery. Some of his greatest triumphs happen on the operating table and he makes those thrills accessible to all readers. In spite of all the drama, he eventually is able to marry and have two daughters, and it may be hard for some readers to stomach his continued participation in medical missions of great danger as a husband and father. His wife was instrumental in setting up a foundation to support his kind of work, including the training of trauma surgeons in unfavorable environments. As he ages,I hope he will find the development of his networks gives him peronal satisfaction even if it takes place in relatively peaceful venues. Be warned: this book is not for the faint of heart!
4 people found this helpful
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David Elliot
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for the global citizen
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
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Honest and absolutely authentic account of a lifetime dedicated to international service. Incredible writing about seemingly impossible circumstances. Starts and ends with hope.
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nic1800
5.0 out of 5 stars To be read at all costs
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020
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A rivetting and inspirational book by a hugely compassionate, brave, dedicated and quite remarkable surgeon and human being. Thank goodness that there are civilians such as Dr Nott who, with total disregard for their own safely, battle against the odds and in the most difficult of circumstances, to do their utmost to save and repair innocent lives damaged by the horrors and cruelty wrought by these appalling conflicts.
8 people found this helpful
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Linda C
5.0 out of 5 stars This heroic story deserves to be read
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2019
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I've often wondered what kind of person volunteers to work in dangerous places. In War Doctor, David Nott explains what draws him to do just that, and reflects on some defining childhood moments which possibly developed this aspect of his character.
War Doctor is a very human account of a remarkable man's experiences working in many of the war zones featuring in our news headlines, from Sarajevo to Syria.
The style of writing is non-sensationalised and extremely easy to read. Nott seems to have struck the perfect balance for this book to appeal to both medically-inclined people and those who don't want too much anatomical or gory detail. He is neither preachy nor boastful about his efforts to transfer skills to others, and he doesn't shy away from admitting how scared he becomes when his life is in danger.
Nott is a modern-day hero whose story deserves to be read. I highly recommend it.
7 people found this helpful
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Taylor Fischer
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2022
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I would strongly recommend this book to anyone in the military or medical field. I am both. This book gave me a different perspective on war, medicine, and life. Thank you Dr. Nott for your work and thank you for the lives you impacted, mine included by reading this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Terry Garrett
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Man!
Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2024
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This book was eye-opening! One person can make a huge difference in this world. It is humbling to think that one person is willing to do everything they can, in spite of person danger to help others in places of conflict. Imagine if everyone in this world had the same mindset, what a wonderful world it would be. David Nott made a huge personal sacrifice to help other in places of conflict. It also made me very aware that there is far too many wars and brutal people. Too bad we can't get along and solve things in a more reasonable manner.
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Lubree
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book, guving a lot of insight about medicine behind the front lines.
Reviewed in India on November 4, 2022
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Very gripping account of surgeon Professor ( as they say in the U.K. ) David Nott's experiences on many war fronts.

Looking forward to a sequel starting from where this book ends.
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Juliana Larrarte
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspira
Reviewed in Spain on March 12, 2021
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Inspirador. Impactante. Te engancha y lo recomiendo.
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Werner Rettenbacher
5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible read!
Reviewed in Germany on February 22, 2021
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This was one of the very best non-fiction books I have read in a long time. Admittedly I felt it might be a tad dull at the very beginning but the pace picked up and in the end I read through the night. Dr Nott is, for want of adequate words, an absolutely amazing human being. I am in awe of him and his altruism and dedication. Because of the nature of his work in war torn countries, some of the descriptions were harrowing. How he was able to return to war zones from his "safe" base in the UK, as he did, to continue with his work, amply demonstrates what an incredible human being he is. I am in awe of him. (submitted by Elizabeth Rettenbacher)
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lynne robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Frank and honest account of the brutality of war and the innocent who suffer
Reviewed in France on November 18, 2019
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Everyone should read this book. Particularly those amongst us who choose to ignore the suffering of people in war zones. This doctor's dedication and bravery is inspiring.
Descriptions of the brutality of attacks and the injuries sustained by the innocent, so many of them children, are hard to read. But his care of the badly wounded and traumatized people caught up in these conflicts and his teaching of young doctors gives us hope. But the wars go on and so many suffer.
Thank you for your modesty and your bravery Doctor Nott.
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