War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line
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- Create Date：2021-03-23 09:32:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：David Nott
- ISBN：1419747991
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Summary
The #1 internationally bestselling， gripping true story of a frontline trauma surgeon operating in the world's most dangerous war zones
For more than 25 years， surgeon David Nott has volunteered in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones。 From Sarajevo under siege in 1993 to clandestine hospitals in rebel-held eastern Aleppo， he has carried out life-saving operations and field surgery in the most challenging conditions， and with none of the resources of a major metropolitan hospital。 Nott is now widely acknowledged to be 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。 At times， Nott’s riveting memoir reads like a travelogue of the world’s cruelty—he has volunteered in Afghanistan， Congo， Darfur， Gaza， Iraq， Libya， Sierra Leone， and Yemen—but it’s also an uplifting and deeply compassionate story about the brave medical professionals trying to combat evil and heal their patients despite the terrible circumstances。
Culminating in his recent trips to war-torn Syria—and the untold story of his efforts to help evacuate some 50，000 people from Aleppo—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。
For more than 25 years， surgeon David Nott has volunteered in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones。 From Sarajevo under siege in 1993 to clandestine hospitals in rebel-held eastern Aleppo， he has carried out life-saving operations and field surgery in the most challenging conditions， and with none of the resources of a major metropolitan hospital。 Nott is now widely acknowledged to be 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。 At times， Nott’s riveting memoir reads like a travelogue of the world’s cruelty—he has volunteered in Afghanistan， Congo， Darfur， Gaza， Iraq， Libya， Sierra Leone， and Yemen—but it’s also an uplifting and deeply compassionate story about the brave medical professionals trying to combat evil and heal their patients despite the terrible circumstances。
Culminating in his recent trips to war-torn Syria—and the untold story of his efforts to help evacuate some 50，000 people from Aleppo—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。
Reviews
HEATHER McLENNAN
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This man is unbelievable。 A must read for anybodyThis is one of the best books I have ever read。 He has spread his knowledge all over the world。 Such a kind， caring and compassionate doctor 。The way he stayed in theatre with a little girl whose bowel was hanging out with one other dr and everybody else left is only one of the situations that got to me。 He is one in a million。 AmSo glad he now has his own family。 He certainly deserves the awards he has already received and hopefully more to come。 This man is unbelievable。 A must read for anybodyThis is one of the best books I have ever read。 He has spread his knowledge all over the world。 Such a kind， caring and compassionate doctor 。The way he stayed in theatre with a little girl whose bowel was hanging out with one other dr and everybody else left is only one of the situations that got to me。 He is one in a million。 AmSo glad he now has his own family。 He certainly deserves the awards he has already received and hopefully more to come。 For such a courageous intelligent surgeon putting patients lives in front of his own。 I will re read this book which I don’t often do。 Thank you for sharing your very interesting life with is。 I cannot praise you high enough。 I was a nurse so can understand a very little of how your life has been。。 thank you again。 。。。more
Jamie Byrne
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It takes a special person to work in war zones。 I don’t doubt that David Nott is an exceptional surgeon。 However， his writing style is arrogant and choppy。 Some stories were incredibly drawn out and others were just glazed over。 While he did recognize those he worked with， it was more as a way to glorify himself rather than actually recognize them。
Aimie Razalo
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Enthralled enthralling！awesome & what a motivational
Sophie Minto
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A humbling and remarkable read。 I have rated this 4 stars as at times the authors style of writing didn’t always flow， however would still highly recommend for the stories alone。
Sarah Norman
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Really interesting
Kevin Rontree
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Kindly brutalOne of the most harrowing and brutal books I have ever read。 His perseverance and dedication is truly unbelievable。 If this was a film it would be too awful to watch。 A must read， graphically described in a way that can be understood by non- medical people。 Please read to see what a cruel world this can be。
Natasha Chare
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A powerful， thought-provoking read。 David gives a frank and well written personal account of trauma surgery in the most dangerous， and often basic， surroundings。 The snippets of patients stories interwoven in this book are particularly compelling。 Highly recommend giving this a read。
Jasmine
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Incredibly interesting and moving book with fascinating stories from many different countries。 Lots of medical descriptions that I couldn’t understand but was still able to see the bigger picture。 Nott sometimes comes across as self-absorbed/sanctimonious as his opinion is always presented as the right one in any disagreements and his few judgement lapses glossed over- going against the rules established by organisations to keep the volunteers safe- but this doesn’t detract from the main content Incredibly interesting and moving book with fascinating stories from many different countries。 Lots of medical descriptions that I couldn’t understand but was still able to see the bigger picture。 Nott sometimes comes across as self-absorbed/sanctimonious as his opinion is always presented as the right one in any disagreements and his few judgement lapses glossed over- going against the rules established by organisations to keep the volunteers safe- but this doesn’t detract from the main content of the book。Studied international relations but until reading this did not grasp the difficulties that are faced in ensuring that there is adequate medical care for the civilians at risk during a crisis。 。。。more
Philip
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I went through a surge of emotions while reading this book。 Would definitely recommend it to other readers out there。
Bev
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Very accessible book。 Graphic descriptions of surgeries， which is fine by me， but maybe too much for the squeamish。 Also presents the situational problems of working in war zones， being stopped at gunpoint by militia on the way to the hospital， having to get permission from local leaders to do surgery on a woman who is dying。
Claudia
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So eye-opening and emotional to read。
Aneta
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this man’s bravery。。。 i can’t even begin to describe。 it was such a beautiful book。 my eyes were filled with tears as i was reading the last pages; i couldn’t believe what he was able to achieve。 so compassionate， extraordinary， painful and yet inspiring。 highly recommend！
Marianna
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Un libro spettacolare Chiunque lo dovrebbe leggere
Danielle Skidmore
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While the book highlights many of the world's conflicts which seem to be long forgotten by the media or the public， and David of course did amazing work， a lot of the book made me cringe as the white saviourism theme took hold。 There are many references throughout I struggled with， but in DRC he highlights how he learned a new technique from a Congolese doctor， in the next paragraph he speaks of how western surgeons can teach the locals so much。 As someone who works in the humanitarian sector it While the book highlights many of the world's conflicts which seem to be long forgotten by the media or the public， and David of course did amazing work， a lot of the book made me cringe as the white saviourism theme took hold。 There are many references throughout I struggled with， but in DRC he highlights how he learned a new technique from a Congolese doctor， in the next paragraph he speaks of how western surgeons can teach the locals so much。 As someone who works in the humanitarian sector it was difficult to grapple with the good work David does， and the arrogance and savouristic notions that permeate most chapters。 。。。more
Scycer
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This book took me on an emtional rollercoaster that I did not plan to ride。 I had started reading medicine and biology related books over the past couple of years。 Not a genre I had expected to find myself interested in but the intersections of life on the topics these books deal with ， paints a deeper picture of the world around that no other subject has been able to。 David Nott voiced his own audiobook， something that I came to realize only in the end when you get some added inputs from his wi This book took me on an emtional rollercoaster that I did not plan to ride。 I had started reading medicine and biology related books over the past couple of years。 Not a genre I had expected to find myself interested in but the intersections of life on the topics these books deal with ， paints a deeper picture of the world around that no other subject has been able to。 David Nott voiced his own audiobook， something that I came to realize only in the end when you get some added inputs from his wives voice （ I love audiobooks for the extra stuff you can pack into the end） 。In this book you get introduced to the young David ， his bi-racial background which was not as common as today。 His family ， early influences and hobbies。 His love for flying and saving people。 The nature of war and the doctors who volunteer to help those trapped in its ravages as he grows older。You will hear stories from Africa to Syria and the challenges of living and working under terrifying scenarios。 Everyone is human， but one wonders what makes a few different in their aim to make humanity better while at the same time one gets horrified at how twisted certain behavior humans are capable of doing。 The plight of the people of Syria and the actions that happened feels horrific but David's narrative tells us how perseverance and lifetime of actions can move mountains。 This earth is your haven。 Build your heaven by making a slice your own by focusing on the people you share your meals， laughs ， tears and memories with。 Do it everyday and one day you will find yourself changing something about the world。 I found the book amazing but it may not be everyone's cup of tea。 There is a number of medical jargon and explanations that some people might find makes the book dense。 In addition ， if you find it nauseating to read about gore and things which are graphic。。。 this might not be your first go to book。 If however you want to understand what life in a war torn region is like 。。。 this book will paint you a very detailed picture。 On the medical side， I do agree we need to have more general practitioners that specialized ones ， however how this will work with the infrastructure available in major cities is an unknown。 Policy， Community， Technology and Education can change the world you live in， if you are open to letting go of past thoughts that do not to solve today's problems。 Once more I got to say。。。。 pick this book up。。。 it is amazing。 Go Support the David Nott Foundation if you can。 Lets enable more doctors to think and benefit from David's experience。 。。。more
Zane Kalnina
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Personal， honest， touching and eye-opening story of the surgeon on the front line of the war。So well written that is is impossible to forget some of the scenes and stories revealed。
Sheila Matharu
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We occassionally come across a book that inspire us to be better - that was certainly the case with War doctor。 Thank you for sharing your story， David。 :）
Ashley
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I wish I could have been a hero。 Like this surgeon。 I might re-read it。
Omg
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A must read！
Marion Malcolm
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Really enjoyed the pace and jeopardy clearly portrayed here。 David is engagingly honest， even where he admits character flaws。 Not your average "hero" character。 Really enjoyed the pace and jeopardy clearly portrayed here。 David is engagingly honest， even where he admits character flaws。 Not your average "hero" character。 。。。more
Clare
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Incredibly powerful， stomach-churning， uplifting story of one of the many professionals who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place。
gail gabriel
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InspiringWhat a wonderful book and David Notts bravery and sheer compassion for the poor， traumatised and disenfranchised by the horrors of war is simply awe inspiring。 God bless you in your future endeavours。 Gail
Rohin
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It was a great thrilling book。 It had a lot of action and so many dangerous scenes it almost seemed like it was fiction。 The book made the world today seem like a dystopian world and the book seemed dystopian when you realize how messed up our world is today but we choose to ignore it。
Vivek Kulanthaivelpandian
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Having watched several documentaries by MSF ， I was able to visualize vividly the scenarios the author described during his stint at various conflict zones as a surgeon。 Earlier chapters were very interesting and engrossing。 But second half of the book became boring and the description was repetitive and became political。 But can read this if you have interest in conflict zone medicine or reportage。
Nigel
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I would recommend this to anyone unreservedly。 There are times this is horrific - man's inhumanity to man does not change and Syria is particularly bad - as well as tissues。 David Nott is not always right but he is always a powerful humanitarian。 His words are far more powerful than mine - enough said I would recommend this to anyone unreservedly。 There are times this is horrific - man's inhumanity to man does not change and Syria is particularly bad - as well as tissues。 David Nott is not always right but he is always a powerful humanitarian。 His words are far more powerful than mine - enough said 。。。more
Giovanni Ciriani
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Very vivid descriptions of surgeries， that make it for an interesting read。 Some parts are not convincing though， and I'm wondering if readers who have a background in surgery will find some details problematic。 At one point， describing the devastating impact of a bullet， the author confuses physic's 2nd law of motion with Einstein's relativity; to a person aware of the differences like me it suggests that the writer is not aware of what he doesn't know。 Very vivid descriptions of surgeries， that make it for an interesting read。 Some parts are not convincing though， and I'm wondering if readers who have a background in surgery will find some details problematic。 At one point， describing the devastating impact of a bullet， the author confuses physic's 2nd law of motion with Einstein's relativity; to a person aware of the differences like me it suggests that the writer is not aware of what he doesn't know。 。。。more
Dmitry
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Excellent and inspiring。 Truthful to the point of hatting him for "wasteful use is resources"。The book ends very appropriately with quote from Koran Surah 5:32 "whoever saves a life， it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind"。 Excellent and inspiring。 Truthful to the point of hatting him for "wasteful use is resources"。The book ends very appropriately with quote from Koran Surah 5:32 "whoever saves a life， it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind"。 。。。more
Olivia Tarn
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David Nott is the most incredible of individuals and I absolutely loved reading this novel as he tells so many brilliant stories of being a War Doctor。 Since the 1990s， David has been volunteering abroad in different struggling countries when they have been hit by war or natural disasters， to help the frontline staff to deal with a whole array of causalities。 This novel is absolutely beyond heart-breaking。 The first hand stories of the pain and the horrific scenes witnessed during these missions David Nott is the most incredible of individuals and I absolutely loved reading this novel as he tells so many brilliant stories of being a War Doctor。 Since the 1990s， David has been volunteering abroad in different struggling countries when they have been hit by war or natural disasters， to help the frontline staff to deal with a whole array of causalities。 This novel is absolutely beyond heart-breaking。 The first hand stories of the pain and the horrific scenes witnessed during these missions is beyond devastating。 Despite the stories of human beings at their worst， there is also stories of human beings at their best， including David Nott himself。 The various stories of the doctors and other frontlife staff in these countries is beyond humbling。 In so many of these countries， up to 90% of their doctors and health staff fled when war happened， leaving not many individuals behind to care for the sick and wounded。 The heart of these people is stunning， and I will forever be in awe of these individuals who put their life on the line for other people: they are truly the best of humanity。Some quotes: 1。 "War can make an already different existence impossible。"2。 "Why do I keep going back to areas of pure misery and heartache？ The answer is simple: to help people who， like you and I， have a right to proper care at this most precarious time of their lives。"3。 "I did not know them or their past lives， but they were very vulnerable and it is the vulnerability of human life that - when it is stripped down to its basics - makes us all the same。" 。。。more
Tom
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Amazing book。 Interesting， emotional， and informative。
Frances
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