War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line

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The writing is precise and succinct but retains a compassion for the suffering of those whose lives have been stripped to a struggle to survive in unimaginable conditions. Details of the medical procedures are fascinating and described in accessible language. And yet, with so many wars included there is a feeling of despair when considering what man is capable of inflicting. Nott admits that his work has left him in need of therapy for PTSD.

Dr D told me about how in Syria, David Nott was held at gunpoint when operating on the brother of a member of ISIS. 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 Marsh, author of Do No Harm, New Statesman

My mind filled instantly with images of toxic dust, of crushed school desks, of bloodied and limbless children and of David Haines, Alan Henning and those other western aid workers whose lives had ended in the most appalling fashion. My bottom lip started to go and I wanted to burst into tears, but I held myself together. She looked at me quizzically and touched my hand. She then had a quiet word with one of the courtiers, who pointed to a silver box in front of her, which was full of biscuits. “These are for the dogs,” she said, breaking one of the biscuits in two and giving me half. Together, we fed the corgis. “There,” the Queen said. “That’s so much better than talking, isn’t it?” Over time, the physical and mental exertion can take a toll on the doctors themselves. It is not easy to grapple with the incessant presence of death, especially the horrifying and disfiguring injuries inflicted upon children. It is equally challenging to navigate the return to normality as the imbalance between the two worlds is often too harsh. Consequently, partaking in such missions requires a high level of self-awareness and knowing when to seek help to recover from the after-effects.

Dr Nott’s intrepid spirit and predilection for humanitarian work is an inspiration to youths like me. The fact that he keeps returning to those missions even when he knows he is endangering his own life is a clear indication that he has found the one thing that gives his life meaning and purpose. I get that some books are written primarily as a device to "build brand" for some combination of booking more speaking/media gig, to raise money for a charity or drum up leads for a business. That's fine, I don't inherently have anything against these sorts of books. However, after finishing the War Doctor, I might start to actively avoid them in the future. So powerful and honest. Extraordinary. -- Elizabeth Buchan, author of The New Mrs Clifton and I Can't Begin to Tell You Similar to a war journalist the author also openly admits that he got addicted to the rush of adrenalin going into places he could be killed at any moment.The #1 internationally bestselling, gripping true story of a frontline trauma surgeon operating in the world’s most dangerous war zones People, especially in the UK and Europe, need to understand why Syria's mass exodus started and why the prosecution at the hands of the EU and danger of death whilst crossing the Mediterranean was the far more preferred option than staying in the hands of Assad, who is himself a British trained doctor. David Nott operated on countless victims, soldiers, children and doctors alike in the past 30+ years of his voluntary work as a doctor on the front lines. The descriptions he has written for his experiences will stay with me for the rest of my life, I can only imagine how it will stay with him.