Book Review: War Doctor by David Nott
When two or more people tell me that they’ve read a book they think I would like, I tend to read up on it and probably reading it for myself. That was the case with this book. Right now I am in the final stage of my EMT certifications, a process that I have started in January 2020. I have a couple more weeks to go and the final Exams are in July. I am in the so-called “ride-along” phase during which I ride in an active ambulance for 160 hours. An amazing experience to say the least, but let’s get back to the book. People close to me know this and two of them told me to pick David Nott’s book “War Doctor” up. When a YouTuber I follow talked about it as well I thought that it might be a sign for me to read it.
What is the book about?
The book is in essence David Nott’s experience as a trauma surgeon in conflict zones around the world. He talks about how he was drawn into volunteering for his first humanitarian mission in war-torn Sarajevo in the year 2013. An goes on through major conflicts around the globe and how it had an impact on him as a doctor and most of all as a human being.
Impressions.
The book left me with a feeling of hope. Hope that there are more people like David Nott, who’d be willing to risk their life and health to help other people. Being a volunteer firefighter/EMT myself this one hit quite close to home. But David Nott and all the other volunteers who travel to conflict zones to help people take it to a whole other level. I was deeply moved by the people described in the book, local surgeons, nurses, and others trying to give a hopeless situation a tiny bit of hope and saving a great number of lives in the process.
Who is this book for?
I would say that the book is for anybody who would like to get a glimpse into the life of someone who leaves family and friends behind for weeks at a time to help others. Not only physically but also how it impacts the mind in the long run. It might also be interesting for people interested in the Syrian conflict and the most part of the book focuses on several visits to that part of the world and gives us an idea of how horrible daily life has become for families during that conflict. If you are active in any kind of rescue work chances are that you will enjoy this book very much. Some wounds are quite precisely described in the book, so if you don’t like that kind of reading I would steer away.
Memorable Quote
“Is the practice of medicine a business or is it a vocation? Where does the balance lie between doing well and doing good?”
― War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line
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