Publication date UK format 7/6/22 book 320 pages
I would like to thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to pick this to read and review all my reviews are honest.
Synopsis
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER The poignant story of the visionary surgeon who rebuilt the faces of the First World War's injured heroes, and in the process ushered in the modern era of plastic surgery From the moment the first machine gun rang out over the Western Front, one thing was clear: mankind's military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities. The war's new weaponry, from tanks to shrapnel, enabled slaughter on an industrial scale, and given the nature of trench warfare, thousands of soldiers sustained facial injuries. Medical advances meant that more survived their wounds than ever before, yet disfigured soldiers did not receive the hero's welcome they deserved. In The Facemaker, award-winning historian Lindsey Fitzharris tells the astonishing story of the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, who dedicated himself to restoring the faces - and the identities - of a brutalized generation. Gillies, a Cambridge-educated New Zealander, became interested in the nascent field of plastic surgery after encountering the human wreckage on the front. Returning to Britain, he established one of the world's first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction in Sidcup, south-east England. There, Gillies assembled a unique group of doctors, nurses and artists whose task was to recreate what had been torn apart. At a time when losing a limb made a soldier a hero, but losing a face made him a monster to a society largely intolerant of disfigurement, Gillies restored not just the faces of the wounded but also their spirits. Meticulously researched and grippingly told, The Facemaker places Gillies's ingenious surgical innovations alongside the poignant stories of soldiers whose lives were wrecked and repaired. The result is a vivid account of how medicine and art can merge, and of what courage and imagination can accomplish in the presence of relentless horror.
My Review
This was a really great book and I found it amazing and fascinating to read. I was actually expecting the book to be centred more are Harold Gillies. But this book was set up to follow the patients and how they arrived to Gillies. It also follow the changes in weapons and gases during the war. Which made for a very interesting around history book. I just I was expecting a bit more focus on the changes in medical procedures. Which were mentioned in the book.
It was shocking how these men with facial wounds were treated and how long it took to get help or even to get to Gillies. This book could get very gruesome so be mindful if you are a bit squeamish. I definitely recommend this book to history fans of ww1. As it a great all round history of the changes during the war. Also the causes and affects of facial wounds on the men. This book was very easy to follow as it follow very well . It also had a medium pace. What I loved most of all about this book is that I learnt so much from reading it.
Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing together these fascinating accounts of the struggles and suffering that both the soldiers and the people treating them had to go through.
Where you can buy this book
Amazon US HC $23.99, K $14.99, AUDIBLE
Waterstones HC £17.99
Google Books ebook £9.99
B&N SIGNED $24.99, HC $23.99, N $14.99, AUDIO
Kobo AUDIO £13.00 EBOOK £9.99
Amazon UK K £9.99, AUDIBLE, HC £13.69
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