The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I
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- Author：Lindsey Fitzharris
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Summary
"Enthralling。 Harrowing。 Heartbreaking。 And utterly redemptive。 Lindsey Fitzharris hit this one out of the park。" —Erik Larson， author of The Splendid and the Vile
Lindsey Fitzharris， the award-winning author of The Butchering Art， presents the compelling， true story of a 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: humankind’s military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities。 Bodies were battered， gouged， hacked， and gassed。 The First World War claimed millions of lives and left millions more wounded and disfigured。 In the midst of this brutality， however， there were also those who strove to alleviate suffering。 The Facemaker tells the extraordinary story of such an individual: the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies， who dedicated himself to reconstructing the burned and broken faces of the injured soldiers under his care。
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。 There， Gillies assembled a unique group of practitioners whose task was to rebuild what had been torn apart， to re-create what had been destroyed。 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。
The Facemaker places Gillies’s ingenious surgical innovations alongside the dramatic stories of soldiers whose lives were wrecked and repaired。 The result is a vivid account of how medicine can be an art， and of what courage and imagination can accomplish in the presence of relentless horror。
Lindsey Fitzharris， the award-winning author of The Butchering Art， presents the compelling， true story of a 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: humankind’s military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities。 Bodies were battered， gouged， hacked， and gassed。 The First World War claimed millions of lives and left millions more wounded and disfigured。 In the midst of this brutality， however， there were also those who strove to alleviate suffering。 The Facemaker tells the extraordinary story of such an individual: the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies， who dedicated himself to reconstructing the burned and broken faces of the injured soldiers under his care。
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。 There， Gillies assembled a unique group of practitioners whose task was to rebuild what had been torn apart， to re-create what had been destroyed。 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。
The Facemaker places Gillies’s ingenious surgical innovations alongside the dramatic stories of soldiers whose lives were wrecked and repaired。 The result is a vivid account of how medicine can be an art， and of what courage and imagination can accomplish in the presence of relentless horror。
Reviews
Dawn Michelle
，
I knew a tiny bit about the subject of facial reconstruction [and the masks that were also used to cover defects that could not be corrected by surgery] that started in WW1 due to an excellent historical mystery series that talks about it is several of its book [Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear]， but didn't know how it started and the Doctor that really created it and kept it going。 The author is a really good writer [and the narrator that was picked was also excellent] and there were moments I knew a tiny bit about the subject of facial reconstruction [and the masks that were also used to cover defects that could not be corrected by surgery] that started in WW1 due to an excellent historical mystery series that talks about it is several of its book [Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear]， but didn't know how it started and the Doctor that really created it and kept it going。 The author is a really good writer [and the narrator that was picked was also excellent] and there were moments when I could hear the bombs falling and the men screaming and it was very disturbing while also being educational。 There is so much about that war [and war in general， but particularly WW1] that was horrific and the battles that rages for months at a time and it was almost too much to read at times， and heartbreaking always。 And yet， in the midst of all that horror， there was Dr。 Gillies。 He was an amazing man who just wanted to give these poor men their lives back in the best way possible and while he didn't always accomplish this， he did the very best he could and I think he should have gotten every medal possible for the work he did [and then did again in the second world war] and the men and women he trained in how to care for such injured men。 It is a powerful story that will not soon leave a person [I know I will never forget this one] and you will forever be changed by these stories and the Dr。 who leads them。 I have the author's other book about Joseph Lister and once I have settled from this one， I think I will dive into that one。 She is a very gifted writer and I know I will be reading anything she writes。 I was also granted a audiobook ARC for this book and wow， was that narrator fantastic - he is now added to my "favorites" list [and I will be looking for more books that he narrates in the future]。 He really makes the story come alive and reads the stories of war and destruction and battle scenes with such reverence and respect - I am not sure how he read some of this book without breaking into tears， Kudos to him and a job very well done。 Thank you to NetGalley， Lindsey Fitzharris， Daniel Gillies - Narrator， Farrar， Straus， and Giroux， and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Josephine Gale
，
Having read a fair amount of books on the First World War （it has always held a fascination for me and is one of the reasons I studied history at university）， I looked forward to reading this book although （arrogantly！） I wasn’t sure how much I would learn from it - it turns out， an awful lot！ Lindsey Fitzharris has created an epic work that focuses on the story of Harold Gillies a pioneering plastic surgeon who worked on those with facial disfigurements during the First World War。 However， the Having read a fair amount of books on the First World War （it has always held a fascination for me and is one of the reasons I studied history at university）， I looked forward to reading this book although （arrogantly！） I wasn’t sure how much I would learn from it - it turns out， an awful lot！ Lindsey Fitzharris has created an epic work that focuses on the story of Harold Gillies a pioneering plastic surgeon who worked on those with facial disfigurements during the First World War。 However， the book manages to interweave his story with the war’s timeline and touches on themes and events like art， photography， developments in technology， the home front， women’s involvement， the psychological impact of warfare， key battles…I could go on。But obviously the main focus of the book is Gillies’s work and the innovations led by him， those he worked with directly and some of his contemporaries。 It is not an easy read， both in terms of the graphic descriptions of some of the injuries and in understanding some of the science。 But it is well written and absolutely fascinating and I found the impact on the mental health of the patients （and those who looked after them） particularly interesting。I also enjoyed reading about Gillies’s post war career and was so pleased to find that he continued to innovate in the area of plastic surgery and that， eventually， his contributions to the field were recognised。 I wish to thank and praise the author for writing this wonderful book which， I have no doubt， will bring further justified attention and plaudits to Gillies。Thank you also to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Kalle
，
The Facemaker is a nonfiction book covering facial reconstructive surgery during World War I。 The book focuses on the work of Harold Gillies， one of the surgeons who pushed the boundaries of plastic surgery during this time。 I'm the granddaughter of a plastic surgeon who specialized in hand reconstruction and am generally interested in the history of medicine， so I was excited to request this book and to read it！ What I was not expecting was how blown away I was by this story and the compelling The Facemaker is a nonfiction book covering facial reconstructive surgery during World War I。 The book focuses on the work of Harold Gillies， one of the surgeons who pushed the boundaries of plastic surgery during this time。 I'm the granddaughter of a plastic surgeon who specialized in hand reconstruction and am generally interested in the history of medicine， so I was excited to request this book and to read it！ What I was not expecting was how blown away I was by this story and the compelling writing。 I loved this book。 I never thought that I would look forward to reading about facial reconstruction or surgery before going to bed but Fitzharris proved me wrong！ I had such a good time reading it that I was upset when it ended because I wanted to know more。 The story was so compelling， the writing so good， the time period so interesting， and the subject so new to me that I couldn't put the book down。 And nonfiction is usually the hardest for me to get through！As you can imagine， this book is pretty gruesome。 If you have ANY issues with blood， gore， detailed medical procedures， or anything of that ilk， this is NOT the book for you。 I felt like the descriptions weren't overly gratuitous or macabre， but it definitely goes into detail throughout the book。I HIGHLY recommend this book if you are at all into nonfiction， the history of medicine， biography， or just a good story。 5/5 stars from me。 Thank you to Farrar， Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review！CW: Violence， medical procedures， blood， detailed descriptions of surgery， war， death 。。。more
Tucker
，
Crafted well — information-rich yet also a page-turnable narrative。 I was interested in the link between surgery for veterans and surgery for a trans man in the 1940s， which I discussed on Medium。 Crafted well — information-rich yet also a page-turnable narrative。 I was interested in the link between surgery for veterans and surgery for a trans man in the 1940s， which I discussed on Medium。 。。。more
Shelbycat
，
This was an absolutely fabulous book， I loved every minute of it。 There was the perfect balance of scientific and medical jargon and knowledge alongside personal stories of both the surgeons and the patients involved。 I've learnt so much about not just the first world war， but also surgery generally and in particular the transgender work Gillies carried out。 I think his reasoning that what he did was not about judgement by him， but was all about making another humans life better whether that was This was an absolutely fabulous book， I loved every minute of it。 There was the perfect balance of scientific and medical jargon and knowledge alongside personal stories of both the surgeons and the patients involved。 I've learnt so much about not just the first world war， but also surgery generally and in particular the transgender work Gillies carried out。 I think his reasoning that what he did was not about judgement by him， but was all about making another humans life better whether that was replacing parts of their face or allowing them to fully complete their gender transition。 Overall a fantastic book that everyone should read。 。。。more
Gill M
，
The mechanisation of battle during World War 1， lead to both more and worse injuries than had been seen before。 Facial injuries damaged both the body and the psyche， with men ostracised for being too disturbing to look at。The possibility of successful reconstructive surgery attracted a disparate group of professionals， including ENT surgeons， general surgeons and dentists。This book is a fascinating account of both the patients and the healthcare professionals。 The focus is on Harold Gillies and The mechanisation of battle during World War 1， lead to both more and worse injuries than had been seen before。 Facial injuries damaged both the body and the psyche， with men ostracised for being too disturbing to look at。The possibility of successful reconstructive surgery attracted a disparate group of professionals， including ENT surgeons， general surgeons and dentists。This book is a fascinating account of both the patients and the healthcare professionals。 The focus is on Harold Gillies and his pioneering work in establishing the beginnings of modern plastic surgery。 There are many other honourable mentions of international contributors to the work。 Many of whom were self funded。 With each patient comes a vignette of the grim circumstances surrounding their injuries， together with pretty gory clinical details。A very interesting read， which makes one very grateful for modern anaesthesia， asepsis and analgesia。I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review。 All views expressed are my own。 。。。more
Liliya
，
The Facemaker is a unique look at the history of modern plastic surgery which emerged during WW1。 It follows Harold Gillies and his evolution as a surgeon， creating new techniques and assembling a team of professionals who would work to give back soldiers their identities。 The book also explores the beginnings of anesthesiology， hematology， and other medical sciences。 It is fascinating and impeccably researched， filled with so much detail。 It reads like a fiction book with primary source quotes The Facemaker is a unique look at the history of modern plastic surgery which emerged during WW1。 It follows Harold Gillies and his evolution as a surgeon， creating new techniques and assembling a team of professionals who would work to give back soldiers their identities。 The book also explores the beginnings of anesthesiology， hematology， and other medical sciences。 It is fascinating and impeccably researched， filled with so much detail。 It reads like a fiction book with primary source quotes sprinkled in。 There are happy and funny moments among the tragic reality。 We are able to understand how both the doctors and patients felt， not just what happened。 Something that I loved about this book was that it was patient-focused， and we learned all aspects of the soldiers' stories: from the battlefield， throughout their operations and healing process， and their life after the war。 This book does contain graphic descriptions of face wounds and surgeries， but they are necessary to understand the extent of the war's destruction and how talented these surgeons were。 Fitzharris beautifully weaves a tale of how healing and creation came from the destruction of war。 Thank you to the publisher Farrar， Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
James B
，
Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 Harold Gillies is a doctor working for the British military during World War One。 He basically refines plastic surgery as we know it today as he tries to bring back the shattered faces of the many soldiers that come and stay at his hospital as Gillies invents one method after another， through painful trial and error， to try and give these men a sense of healing。 It’s also a great short history of the war。 While harrowing at many turns， Gullies is so inn Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 Harold Gillies is a doctor working for the British military during World War One。 He basically refines plastic surgery as we know it today as he tries to bring back the shattered faces of the many soldiers that come and stay at his hospital as Gillies invents one method after another， through painful trial and error， to try and give these men a sense of healing。 It’s also a great short history of the war。 While harrowing at many turns， Gullies is so innovative， and unfailingly decent， that you would follow his story in a book twice as long。 。。。more
Annarella
，
This is an important book as it talks about the horror of war and a man who worked to improve the life of soldiers who were disfigured during WWI。There's a lot to learn about WWI， its horrors are not well known as they should be and this is something that people should read to remember and to learn。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine This is an important book as it talks about the horror of war and a man who worked to improve the life of soldiers who were disfigured during WWI。There's a lot to learn about WWI， its horrors are not well known as they should be and this is something that people should read to remember and to learn。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Lucie Morningstar
，
If I told you that I have been waiting for this book for years and that it has been my most anticipated read ever， I would not be exaggerating。 Ever since being completely bowled over by The Butchering Art back in 2017， I have waited with baited breath for the announcement of the title， subject details and release date。Growing up in a military family， I was familiar with Harold Gillies and his extraordinary work， and I ate up every word on every page。 Lindsey has the most incredible gift for wri If I told you that I have been waiting for this book for years and that it has been my most anticipated read ever， I would not be exaggerating。 Ever since being completely bowled over by The Butchering Art back in 2017， I have waited with baited breath for the announcement of the title， subject details and release date。Growing up in a military family， I was familiar with Harold Gillies and his extraordinary work， and I ate up every word on every page。 Lindsey has the most incredible gift for writing about history in a way that completely absorbs the reader。 With meticulous research， respect and sensitivity， Lindsey has detailed not only the ingenious surgical innovations by Gillies， but also his compassion and drive to help these wounded soldiers take back themselves and their lives。Along with photographs， you also learn more about these men and how they came to be in Gillies' care， their road to recovery and how some of them even stayed on with the man who helped them。Completely moving and engrossing， it has stayed with me， and will no doubt continue to stay with me， just as The Butchering Art has。 I only hope Lindsey will bless us with another book in the future。 。。。more
Sharyn
，
Having studied WW1 extensively as part of my history degree there was a lot in this book that was familiar to me。 I also studied Social History of Medicine which fascinated me so I hoped I would be in for a treat。 And I was！ This book is a brilliant account of the horrors of World War One and is well written and understandable for readers who are new to the subject。 A lot of it is gory and the available file of photos from the publishers is not for the faint hearted。 But that's what our men went Having studied WW1 extensively as part of my history degree there was a lot in this book that was familiar to me。 I also studied Social History of Medicine which fascinated me so I hoped I would be in for a treat。 And I was！ This book is a brilliant account of the horrors of World War One and is well written and understandable for readers who are new to the subject。 A lot of it is gory and the available file of photos from the publishers is not for the faint hearted。 But that's what our men went through and I think it's a story that deserves repeating as future generations come along。 The way the story of Gillies is interwoven with the progress （ironic choice of descriptor！） of the war is very well done and I was amazed at the progress made in plastic surgery methods in such a relatively short time。 A recommended read but I am not sure that the cover shown on NetGalley will draw in many readers， it's a bit gruesome。 With thank to the publishers， the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book。 。。。more
Steve Cripwell
，
This is the story of Harold Gillies， a gifted surgeon who， with his team， set about the task of rebuilding the faces of soldiers damaged during the First World War。 Whilst servicemen who lost limbs were looked upon with sympathy， the others， with facial wounds， were shunned as to look at them was difficult。 Which in turn， often made them shy away from normal society。I like the way this book is written。 Its well-researched facts are presented in an interesting and easy-to-read way。 Some non-ficti This is the story of Harold Gillies， a gifted surgeon who， with his team， set about the task of rebuilding the faces of soldiers damaged during the First World War。 Whilst servicemen who lost limbs were looked upon with sympathy， the others， with facial wounds， were shunned as to look at them was difficult。 Which in turn， often made them shy away from normal society。I like the way this book is written。 Its well-researched facts are presented in an interesting and easy-to-read way。 Some non-fiction books become dry and stale in places but this maintained my interest throughout。 It also serves as a history of some of the disastrous events of WWI。 Using eyewitness accounts interspersed with facts makes for a better reading experience， in my opinion。 This is a book I would recommend to anyone with an interest in the period。 My thanks to #NetGalley， #PenguinPressUK， and #LindseyFitzharris for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Annie
，
During the pandemic， in the months when the faculty and staff were working from home， I worked my way through all of the episodes of ER and Botched （among other shows）。 I was fascinated by the way medical knowledge advanced during the run of ER （1994-2009） and what the two surgeons on Botched were able to do for their patients to rebuild faces and bodies。 Lindsey Fitzharris’s illuminating （and occasionally harrowing） account of the work of Sir Harold Gillies during World War I， The Facemaker， ta During the pandemic， in the months when the faculty and staff were working from home， I worked my way through all of the episodes of ER and Botched （among other shows）。 I was fascinated by the way medical knowledge advanced during the run of ER （1994-2009） and what the two surgeons on Botched were able to do for their patients to rebuild faces and bodies。 Lindsey Fitzharris’s illuminating （and occasionally harrowing） account of the work of Sir Harold Gillies during World War I， The Facemaker， takes us back just over 100 years， to explore the dawn of plastic surgery。 It turns out that some of the things the doctors on Botched do were pioneered by Gillies and his collaborative team of surgeons and dentists whereas others （like the use of ether and chloroform as anesthesia） are now seen as primitive。 It’s even more remarkable when you know that this incredible， ground-breaking work was done as thousands of patients were pouring into Gillies’s hospital over four years of unceasing warfare on the Western Front。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more
Leslie Zemeckis
，
Fascinating deep dive into a surgeons attempt to perfect plastic surgery for soldiers during wwi - amazing - love the writing - not for the faint of heartIt’s amazing how many techniques wer performed and perfected on the victims of gun fire and horrible warfare
Carin
，
Recently I was talking with a colleague and while I’d long known I had a love of a sub sub genre of books about death， I hadn’t exactly put together that another must-read genre for me is medical history。 But it is。 And since I’d enjoyed Ms。 Fitzharris’s previous book， that certainly meant this was a must-read。And what a fascinating book！ In World War I， we came up with all new and exciting ways to kill people。 From poison gas to machine guns to bombs dropped from airplanes， we were mowing down Recently I was talking with a colleague and while I’d long known I had a love of a sub sub genre of books about death， I hadn’t exactly put together that another must-read genre for me is medical history。 But it is。 And since I’d enjoyed Ms。 Fitzharris’s previous book， that certainly meant this was a must-read。And what a fascinating book！ In World War I， we came up with all new and exciting ways to kill people。 From poison gas to machine guns to bombs dropped from airplanes， we were mowing down each other， without a corresponding increase in our defenses。 It was up to medicine to step in and do what was possible to help injured soldiers， who were injured in such huge numbers， in new and unique ways。 Soldiers no longer stood in formations and fired off huge volleys at each other across a field。 Now they hid in ditches and breastworks and poked their head up above the rim to see if it was safe or if they should shoot…。 and they get shot in the face。 Over and over。 （Most of the soldiers didn’t even have helmets until the war’s end。 At best， they had hats。 At worst， some of the early helmets made head injuries worse。）Luckily， Dr。 Gillies， a British ENT doctor， was not only skilled at facial work， and interested in the very young field of plastic surgery， but he also understood （unlike many others） that he’d have to work in conjunction with other specialists， in particular dental surgeons， in order to have good results at fixing facial injuries in any effective way。 You can’t just sew facial injuries shut and cross your fingers。 In fact， that’s pretty much the worst thing you can do。 He’d rather you didn’t close the wound at all before it got to him， or he’d have to do additional revision surgeries。 When large bones were missing， he had to build up the structure of the skull and the face， before working on the soft tissue。This book， like pretty much all medical histories， has its moments of gruesomeness， so if you’re especially squeamish it might not be for you （and especially DO NOT google anything mentioned in the book！ But if you’re not especially squeamish， artist Anna Coleman Ladd made some amazingly realistic–if immobile–masks for veterans to cover their injuries and you should most certainly look those up。 Maybe they’re in the book–I’m not sure。 I read it so early （due to my job） that the 16 pages of images wasn’t available yet。An amazingly interesting and touching history of an overlooked aspect of WWI。 History buffs of many stripes should give this a go as it’s really important to understand the results of all the destruction of war。 。。。more
Jenny Lawson
，
Fascinating true story about the surgeons who tried to fix the faces of disfigured soldiers of WWI。 It's a bit gory and sad at times， but if you're a fan of Mary Roach you'll like this one。 Fascinating true story about the surgeons who tried to fix the faces of disfigured soldiers of WWI。 It's a bit gory and sad at times， but if you're a fan of Mary Roach you'll like this one。 。。。more
Glynn Skerratt
，
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - part biography， part history， part anecdote and part human interest stories involving very real and personal tragedies。 Harold Gillies was a remarkable man and surgeon， not least because of his focus and expertise in repairing the faces of people who had become disfigured as a result of war or accident。The book， has an engaging and vivid narrative that draws the reader in to share the challenges that Gillies experienced at a personal level whilst pioneeri I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - part biography， part history， part anecdote and part human interest stories involving very real and personal tragedies。 Harold Gillies was a remarkable man and surgeon， not least because of his focus and expertise in repairing the faces of people who had become disfigured as a result of war or accident。The book， has an engaging and vivid narrative that draws the reader in to share the challenges that Gillies experienced at a personal level whilst pioneering and refining the hitherto little-known field of ‘plastic surgery’。 The book describes how Gilles learned his craft working with dentist Auguste Valadier and how the idiosyncratic artist Henry Tonks was pivotal to widening our understanding of Gilles’ nascent surgical techniques （you can find many examples of these on the web）。 The author guides us through examples of Gilles’s expertise being applied in the field and the theatre， and shares some of the heart-warming and heart-rending stories from the people he treated。 It also covers the blossoming multi-disciplinary team that Gillies surrounded himself with - recognising that surgery， dentistry， radiography and other specialisms were all necessary for maximum effect。For me， the book was all the more poignant because my maternal grandfather was severely wounded by shrapnel at Passchendaele in the 3rd Battle of Ypres。 He was operated on by Gilles at Sidcup to repair his shattered jaw。 As a consequence of reading this book， it is reassuring to know what safe and confident hands he was in for the reconstructive surgery that enabled him to live a life free from any stigma。Many thanks to NetGalley and to the author & publishers for access to this e-ARC in exchange for my review。 All opinions expressed here are entirely my own。 。。。more
Ashley （Red-Haired Ash Reads）
，
The Facemaker tells the story of pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Delf Gillies， who dedicated his life to reconstructing the faces of injured soldiers in his care during World War I。 After reading The Butchering Art， Fizharris’ first book， I knew that I would want to read any future books that she wrote。 This book surpassed my expectations and sucked me in from the very first page。 “[T]he science of healing stood baffled before the science of destroying。” -quote from a battlefield nurse Gilles h The Facemaker tells the story of pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Delf Gillies， who dedicated his life to reconstructing the faces of injured soldiers in his care during World War I。 After reading The Butchering Art， Fizharris’ first book， I knew that I would want to read any future books that she wrote。 This book surpassed my expectations and sucked me in from the very first page。 “[T]he science of healing stood baffled before the science of destroying。” -quote from a battlefield nurse Gilles had a remarkable dedication to his work。 From the very beginning of the war he realized how facial wounds were being poorly treated and how it affected the soldiers。 He was unwavering in his dedication to help these men and went about setting up a specific hospital for facial injuries and restoration。 This eventually led to the establishment of the Queen’s Hospital in Sidcup that became the center of facial reconstruction during the war。 “These soldiers’ lives were often left as shattered as their faces。 Robbed of their very identities， such men came to symbolize the worst of a new， mechanized form of war。” Gillies not only realized the importance of reconstruction， but he also knew that it would take a multidisciplinary team for the work to be successful。 He employed surgeons， physicians， dentists， radiologists， artists， sculptors， mask-makers， and photographers who all worked together to assist in the reconstruction process。 This man was not only extremely creative with his blade， he also understood the importance of recording their work， hence the artists and photographers。 Also， some of this art and photographs still survive today。 Learning about Gillies was fascinating， not only for his achievements but for the man himself。 Gillies really was a compassionate and hardworking man。 He went out of his way to make these men feel human， even when they only saw themselves as monsters。 In the epilogue there are some quotes from the men he worked on and it really touched me to see how his positive outlook really impacted their happiness and recovery。 This book also briefly discussed the sculptors Francis Derwent Wood and Anna Coleman Ladd who created prosthetic masks for soldiers。 I highly suggest looking up photos of Ladd and Wood’s masks because they are beautiful。 You can really see the hard work these two put into making realistic masks for these men。 This book also discussed brief achievements in anesthesia and blood transfusions， which was fascinating because I didn’t realize how much the war revolutionized the healthcare field。 “Men [who] save life never get the same appreciation and reward as those whose business it is to destroy it。” - quote from Sir William Arbuthnot Lane Gillies had a very successful career after the war: In 1930 was knighted for his services during WWI， in 1949 he performed the first successful phalloplasty on a trans man， in 1946 he became the first elected president of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons， and he published two books about plastic surgery。 Gillies also was pressed into service again during WWII。 Harold Gillies lived a remarkable life that pushed the boundaries of surgery and changed the lives of so many people。 Overall， this was an absolutely fascinating book about a fascinating man。 This was so well written that at times I almost forgot I was reading a nonfiction book。 I highly recommend this book （or her other book） if you are interested in medical history。 Also， I love that she acknowledged the work of the archivist who discovered and preserved the clinical records from WWI while working at Queen’s Hospital。 As an archivist myself， I love seeing authors acknowledge the hard work we do。 *ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review。*You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads。 。。。more
Manisha
，
Listened to the audiobook。I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review。Super interesting and I absolutely loved how well it explained everything to someone who does not know all the details of plastic surgery！！
Jordan
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3。5 stars rounded upI've been following Lindsey on Twitter for a while， and am always fascinated with what she shares there and her areas of scientific history exploration and interest。 So I was excited to jump into this book that was about a huge moment in the history of plastic surgery。The Facemaker is obviously extensively and lovingly researched。 Fitzharris uses the work of Dr。 Gillies to share the history of reconstructive surgical efforts， going back to antiquity at times， as well as divin 3。5 stars rounded upI've been following Lindsey on Twitter for a while， and am always fascinated with what she shares there and her areas of scientific history exploration and interest。 So I was excited to jump into this book that was about a huge moment in the history of plastic surgery。The Facemaker is obviously extensively and lovingly researched。 Fitzharris uses the work of Dr。 Gillies to share the history of reconstructive surgical efforts， going back to antiquity at times， as well as diving into the complementary efforts of other medical professionals around him at the time that helped to create better processes for restoring facial disfigurations in soldiers。 For example， chapter 2 focuses on a dentist， Valadier， who was instrumental in helping to determine some reconstruction techniques when it came specifically to the jaw。While I found all of the information shared here fascinating and engrossing， there are two things that mainly hampered my enjoyment of this book。 The first is a me thing。 I expected more of a micro-history， very focused on particular cases of soldiers。 The book instead is more of a broad and contextual look at the past and future of plastic surgery， in relation to WWI， and how the work that Dr。 Gillies did was impacted and in turn affected the field。 The other is that， for me， it felt a bit disorganized， and I think it could have used a heavier editing hand。 For example， there were some repetitions in different chapters， of exact phrasing， or reintroducing something again that had already been introduced and explained earlier in the book。 In that way， it felt kind of like a series of previously written pieces that were then attempted to cobble together。 Like a jukebox musical: it sort of works， but some things just feel a little bit off。The book is definitely not for the squeamish， as there are quite graphic descriptions of all kinds of battlefield injuries。 These descriptions are important for context， and not gratuitous， but could be upsetting to some readers。Overall， though， I feel more equipped to handsell this one now that I've read it myself and can help it find the right readers。As a fun bonus， actor Daniel Gillies （of Vampire Diaries fame） is a relative of the doctor， and read the audiobook！ I didn't listen to the audiobook but thought I would share this factoid I saw on Twitter in case someone wanted to read the book that way。CW: gore， sexism 。。。more
Alison
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What an absolutely fascinating audio book。 Full disclosure， I work in medicine， specifically surgery， and have always been fascinated with wounds and reconstruction。 I had， in the past， gone down rabbit holes regarding how war wounds have been handled。World War I: The advancement of medicine was far behind the advancement of weaponry。 This book details how Dr。 Harold GIllies made huge discoveries and advancements in facial reconstruction during WWI。 As was stated in the book， a soldier with a pr What an absolutely fascinating audio book。 Full disclosure， I work in medicine， specifically surgery， and have always been fascinated with wounds and reconstruction。 I had， in the past， gone down rabbit holes regarding how war wounds have been handled。World War I: The advancement of medicine was far behind the advancement of weaponry。 This book details how Dr。 Harold GIllies made huge discoveries and advancements in facial reconstruction during WWI。 As was stated in the book， a soldier with a prosthetic arm/leg garners sympathy。。。a soldier with a facial wound garners repulsion。 The book makes references to diary entries and recollections of staff/nurses and patients。 Details the opening of the hospital and how it takes time to build back a face。 through multiple procedures。 This was a well researched book。 The narrator Daniel Gillies was excellent。 I also realized at the end， he is related to Dr。 Harold Gillies which just made it all the better。I will be purchasing or borrowing a print copy of this book to look through as I found myself googling many of the people mentioned。 。。。more
Jan
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War wounds have changed little since the nineteenth century， but the medical/surgical treatment and reconstruction have changed immeasurably。 There was no reliable anesthesia， no antibiotics at all， effective feeding devices as well as IV fluids （especially plasma！） burn care/grafting， in conditions including mud/degrading gasses （info later applied to defoliants in later wars） of that war。 There are bits describing work in the US during their Civil War， the early work in bone grafting， and the War wounds have changed little since the nineteenth century， but the medical/surgical treatment and reconstruction have changed immeasurably。 There was no reliable anesthesia， no antibiotics at all， effective feeding devices as well as IV fluids （especially plasma！） burn care/grafting， in conditions including mud/degrading gasses （info later applied to defoliants in later wars） of that war。 There are bits describing work in the US during their Civil War， the early work in bone grafting， and the development/inclusion of dentists in the field hospitals。 This is a detailed study of one dedicated surgeon's work which became the gold standard in maxillofacial surgery and reconstruction。 It will be a tough read for veterans of wars， those injured in peacetime （car accidents etc。）， and the highly imaginative。 Me？ Been there， seen that， cared for them as an RN。I requested and received an e-book copy without illustrations （darn！） from Farrar， Straus and Giroux via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Mels_best_books
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I cannot shout loud enough about this cracking book！I’ve never read a nonfiction book from cover to cover。。。but this is going to be followed by reading The Butchering Art for me。。。I work with a team of plastic surgeons so this was a great draw for me。。。to read some of the history of the fascinating and incredible work they do， and how some of those practices and techniques came to be。 I’ve often said that textbooks would be so much easier to immerse oneself in if they were written like fiction， I cannot shout loud enough about this cracking book！I’ve never read a nonfiction book from cover to cover。。。but this is going to be followed by reading The Butchering Art for me。。。I work with a team of plastic surgeons so this was a great draw for me。。。to read some of the history of the fascinating and incredible work they do， and how some of those practices and techniques came to be。 I’ve often said that textbooks would be so much easier to immerse oneself in if they were written like fiction， and this book encompasses that in a totally amazing way。 I have always felt in awe of the work the plastic surgeons do， and to read of this with all the historical info was outstanding！Of course I’m sure they’ll know all the history but it won’t be stopping me from singing Lindsey Fitzharris’ praises。。。the research this lady has done is astounding。。。I could not sleep for a few nights after starting the book， adenaline pumping so fast around my body with the excitement！ Lindsey， you are a revelation。。。you have invigorated my reading and given me added joy in my work。Many thanks to NetGalley for my ARC， my hardback copy is on order！！！ This is my unbiased opinion。。。 。。。more
Gill
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What an absolutely engrossing book。 I like anything with a medical background which is what drew me to this book。 I thought I’d be reading about the development of plastic surgery and that up until the first world war any kind of facial surgery which attempted to reconstruct or alter the face would be in its infancy， and yet this couldn’t be further from the case。 This book is brimming with interesting historical facts relating to， in particular rhinoplasty， that date much further back than even What an absolutely engrossing book。 I like anything with a medical background which is what drew me to this book。 I thought I’d be reading about the development of plastic surgery and that up until the first world war any kind of facial surgery which attempted to reconstruct or alter the face would be in its infancy， and yet this couldn’t be further from the case。 This book is brimming with interesting historical facts relating to， in particular rhinoplasty， that date much further back than even the 17th century。It certainly isn’t for the squeamish。 Though in the proof copy that I read there are no photographs， they do appear in the published book。 As it was， some way into the book out of curiosity I googled ‘tubed pedicles’， firstly to see if the procedure is still used today but also because I just couldn’t picture what these would be like from the descriptions。 I found a series of photographs on the BBC website for an exhibition called “The Faces of Battle” and could see the complexity of the treatment the soldiers received。But as well as the story of Harold Gillies， originally an ENT surgeon who did so much during WW1 for the disfigured soldiers， this also tells first-hand accounts of what it was like in the trenches on the front line。 Of those who did manage to survive， it’s little wonder that so many came back with serious PTSD。 Then it was known as shell shock， but on reading of the suffering and utter misery these men went through， it is easy to see the terrible mental and psychological trauma they suffered。 We’re told it was a bloody war， but it isn’t until you are drawn into the atmosphere of the trenches that you realise how completely gruesome and hopeless it really was。It’s not an easy read， but is certainly an interesting one and I especially liked the way it is written。 There are many accounts from injured soldiers， told in such a way that you almost feel like you’re reading something fictional and yet everything in the book has been painstakingly researched with quotes taken from letters， diaries， newspaper articles etc and imperceptibly woven into an absorbing narrative。This is a wonderful book and it has been a real privilege to read it。 It leaves you with a lasting picture of war， highlighting the dreadful loss of life and the utter misery it inflicts on everyone in its wake。 。。。more
Jamie Lee
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Thank you so much Allen Lane/Penguin Random House for this proof。 UK Release - 7th June。A fascinating， heartbreaking & ultimately hopefully story of a man who changed so many lives。 The Facemaker not only tells the story of Harold Gillies who was a pioneer of plastic surgery during World War 1 but it also tells the stories of those he helped and those who helped him。 Lindsey once again puts her whole heart into this story and it's a gripping read。 It's not the easiest to read mainly due to the h Thank you so much Allen Lane/Penguin Random House for this proof。 UK Release - 7th June。A fascinating， heartbreaking & ultimately hopefully story of a man who changed so many lives。 The Facemaker not only tells the story of Harold Gillies who was a pioneer of plastic surgery during World War 1 but it also tells the stories of those he helped and those who helped him。 Lindsey once again puts her whole heart into this story and it's a gripping read。 It's not the easiest to read mainly due to the harrowing descriptions of the injuries but in the end Harold's determination to change their lives shines through and it's extremely hopefully。 。。。more
liv
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Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers， Penguin-Allen Lane for an E-arc in exchange for an honest review。 I adored Lindsey Fitzharris’ first book ‘The Butchering Art’ about the pioneer Joseph Lister。 I was therefore rather beyond enthusiastic about reading ‘The Facemaker， One Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I”。 The Facemaker primarily details Harold Gillies an antipodean ENT surgeon who was a pioneer in facial reconstruction surgery （and plastic surgery） who through Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers， Penguin-Allen Lane for an E-arc in exchange for an honest review。 I adored Lindsey Fitzharris’ first book ‘The Butchering Art’ about the pioneer Joseph Lister。 I was therefore rather beyond enthusiastic about reading ‘The Facemaker， One Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I”。 The Facemaker primarily details Harold Gillies an antipodean ENT surgeon who was a pioneer in facial reconstruction surgery （and plastic surgery） who throughout WW1 （and beyond） reconstructed a plethora of injured soldiers' faces。 Fitzharris’ writing puts across the utter heartbreak some of the injured patients suffered and （sadly） some of the isolation felt by some of Gillies’ patients。 But in stark contrast also the utter triumph and happiness some of his patients felt， following care under Gillies’ team。 Despite a focus on Harold Gillies， the book details other pioneers in the care or art of facial reconstructions。 For example also included are the equally pioneering artists Francis Wood who created bespoke facial prosthetics and the equally inspiring Ladd， amongst the other spattering of artists and suregons such as Todd and the french dentist Valadier。 Fitzharris shows the pure talent and perseverance some of the medical and artistic team ensured during WW1。 I found some of the other historical titbits equally fascinating - such as the history of rhinoplasty and the medics Shushruta and Tagliacozzi's work。I am a fan of medical history and the history of science， so I was almost certain to enjoy the book in some capacity。 Fitzharris’ way with words made me almost forget I am not a big fan of military history。 I did prefer Fitzharris’ first book （The Butchering Art）， yet this doesn’t detract from the fact that Fitzharris is a phenomenal writer and has a way with words。 。。。more
Chris Boutté
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I was fortunate enough to get an early copy of this book。 This is the first book by Lindsey Fitzharris that I’ve read， but I’m a big Mary Roach fan， and she always sings Lindsey’s praises。 So， when someone from Lindsey’s team reached out to see if I wanted to check out this book， I was excited to get familiar with her work。 I’m typically extremely skeptical of books about the history of anything because they often bore me to death， but damn， Fitzharris is a phenomenal writer。 She kept me engaged I was fortunate enough to get an early copy of this book。 This is the first book by Lindsey Fitzharris that I’ve read， but I’m a big Mary Roach fan， and she always sings Lindsey’s praises。 So， when someone from Lindsey’s team reached out to see if I wanted to check out this book， I was excited to get familiar with her work。 I’m typically extremely skeptical of books about the history of anything because they often bore me to death， but damn， Fitzharris is a phenomenal writer。 She kept me engaged the entire time， and I actually found the stories super interesting。 This book is about the history of facial reconstruction and the origins of plastic surgery as well as the foundation for many other medical techniques。 More specifically， the book focuses on Harold Gillies。 Prior to this book， although I’m really big on mental health and psychology， I hadn’t put much thought into the stigma and shame around facial injuries。 The Facemaker enlightened me as to why the work that Gillies did was so important。 Once I started reading， and the book started getting into World War I and the stories of wounded soldiers， I understood why Mary Roach loves Fitzharris’ books so much。 Thank God， I recently became okay with blood and gore。 The way Fitzharris describes the injuries， the details of the surgeries， and other bloody details legitimately made me squirm but in a good way。 I was blown away at her ability to provide descriptions that made me visualize what was happening during each of these stories from 100 years ago。I highly recommend The Facemaker。 I really think fans of books about history will really enjoy this book。 And if you’re into stories with gore， you’ll love it even more。 Personally， I learned a ton。 Although I don’t usually like books like this， Lindsey Fitzharris made me kind of curious about what else I’m missing。 。。。more
Hazel
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The Facemaker by Lindsay Fitzharris is an astonishing read。 What a Hero Harold Gillies was。 It certainly made me think more of the struggles the soldiers had and still have but now due to this pioneering work done by Dr Gilles there is more help for disfigurements in the plastic surgery field。 The book has been professionally researched and is another fantastic book by Lindsay。 Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Press Uk for the ARC。 This review is my own opinion。
Louise
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An absolutely enthralling account of how one pioneering surgeon， Harold Gillies， transformed the lives of so many soldiers， disfigured in the First World War， and in the process changed the course of medical history。
Jen Burrows
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