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The Facemaker
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I | Lindsey Fitzharris
"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 Wars 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: mankinds 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 worlds 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 Gilliess 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.
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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#NFNovember @Bookwormjillk

We are half into the month and I am half through my picked NF books! I feel like this month is going reall well for me.

Of the 4 I have read so far I loved The Facemaker, Think Men Who Hate Women is hard but necessary, The Art of Power fell a bit flat for me, and while Why FIsh Don't Exist was very good (4/5) I was really taken aback by the last quarter of the book.

4 more to go!

kspenmoll I am impressed! I finished 2 so far& one I began in October.. 3d
ChaoticMissAdventures @kspenmoll some NF can be so heavy it takes forever to get through. I picked mostly things I thought would be easier reads and that have been on my TBR the longest. It helped that I did 2 on audio. 3d
Bookwormjillk Great progress 🎉 3d
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Wow! This was excellent. Fitzharris takes us into the medic scene of world war one and the start of plastic surgery. When I was young I had thought this would be the very best career, and it was fascinating to read about how through trial and error and a lot of pain and trauma this field of medicine was created and advanced. A bit bloody, as it focuses on WWI injuries but it is done with care. I was fascinated throughout and love that 👇

ChaoticMissAdventures The main doctor she follows - Harold Gillies - was the first known doctor to do a penile for a trans man (in 1949). Some of the book talks about the egos of doctors, but most of it focuses on collaboration and about how the war pushed these people (men and women) to work with dentists, surgeons, nurses and more to save lives. 4.5/5 Very well done. 3d
Suet624 Yikes. I‘m not sure I could read this one! 3d
ChaoticMissAdventures @Suet624 I am not really one to say it is okay. I thought she did a good job keeping the gore out. But I also can watch surgery shows while eating dinner and the only reality show I have ever really gotten into is Botched so 🤷‍♀️😀 I do think the writer did a fantastic job with the pacing and it is very engaging 3d
Suet624 Thanks for your clarifications. 😂😂 3d
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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My TBR for joining @Bookwormjillk for #NFNovember!

I am apparently focusing on the ladies this year. I have 7 nonfiction books by women and one by an amazing South African man who has been the captain of the Springbok rugby team for the last few years.

Some of these are going ot be a bit heavy but are very important in our current environment, I am hoping to get a lot out of Jesus and John Wayne and Men Who Hate Women.

willaful Interesting list!

I haven't made one yet but my library has tons of new nonfiction coming in so I'm placing a lot of requests.
4w
Bookwormjillk Love it! 4w
BarbaraJean I just started Jesus & John Wayne this week! It‘s really good so far—she‘s spot-on—but I can tell it will also be infuriating! 😬 (edited) 4w
Christine J&JW is excellent and important. 4w
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Ericalambbrown
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If you enjoy medical history, this could be a book for you. This tells the story of Dr Harold Gillies, who was a WWI surgeon and a pioneer in plastic surgery. If listening is your preference, the audiobook is read by his three times great grandson, The Originals actor Daniel Gillies (Audible has him listed as a nephew but IMBD, which is controlled by the actor, has him listed as a grandson). Seriously fascinating if this is your thing!

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rachelsbrittain
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Advances in weaponry and medicine left WWI soldiers with unprecedented injuries, and those of the face and jaw were particularly horrifying, not just in their devastation but in the public reaction to them. But pioneering doctors leading the field of plastic surgery worked tirelessly to give them their lives back after the horrors of the war. A fascinating read. Honestly with it had been longer and gone even more in depth.

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rachelsbrittain
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Not exactly the most serene sick reads for someone on day 5 of an upper respiratory infection, but I did get another story from Uranians read yesterday and really enjoyed it. Might start something lighter, too. #WeekendReads

monalyisha Oof! Sounds like a slog. Hope you get some relief soon! 9mo
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KristiAhlers
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This was so good. The informative and at times gruesome details the author goes into really brings to life what an amazing and inspiring person Harold Gillies was and the lives he transformed with his skill and heart. Have kleenex handy. #nonfictionchallenge2024

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Amiable
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First book ✔️ for #DiseaseofTheMonthBookClub
(prompt: Surgical procedures)

This is the story of Harold Gillies, a pioneering physician who worked to rebuild the faces of soldiers who were injured during World War I —and in the process created the foundation for modern-day plastic surgery.

Cuilin Was that the Doctor in Sidcup, South London? I remember reading something about him and how they designed a mask based on Rupert Brooke. 10mo
Amiable @Cuilin Yes! That‘s the guy! He founded the surgery center at Sidcup, apparently. 10mo
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Birdsong28
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Very good. Follows the story of how one plastic surgeon used his abilities to enable soldiers in the First World War to mend what would have been permanent and debilitating. Even though many of them were still disfigured it wasn't as bad as it could have been without him. ⬇️

Birdsong28 Shows how the First World War enabled advances in plastic surgery that we now use for cosmetic purposes.Even though this is a heavy subject the author's style of writing makes it very easy to read. Highly recommend. 2y
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Amie
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History of facial reconstruction surgery on injured soldiers during WWI. These surgical techniques were the beginning of plastic surgery as a medical discipline. Obviously contains many graphic descriptions of wounds, injuries, and surgical procedures, as well as the general horrors of war.

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BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
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I completed three books during the #joyousjanuary readathon, and got about halfway through the tagged book. I really enjoyed everything I read, so this was a great readathon for me! Reviews coming soon!

Andrew65 Brilliant, well done and thanks for playing along. 👏👏👏🙌🍾🥂🥳🥰 2y
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sebrittainclark
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4/5

This was a fascinating look at the beginning of plastic surgery and specifically facial reconstruction surgery during World War 1. I really didn't know anything about the medical advances that took place around World War 1, so it was very interesting to learn about the factors that made survivable facial injuries more common, and the innovative work Dr. Gillies did to repair the damage.

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Books_n_Whatnot
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Loved learning about Dr. Harold Gillies and soldiers injured in world war 1. Dr. Gillies seemed ahead of his time both scientifically and socially. I thought the book was the perfect length and level of detail for an intro to the subject matter. It was interesting to learn that the founder of plastic surgery was unapologetic and genuine about his passion for the speciality and cared so much about his patients, both reconstructive and cosmetic.

Wesleypaker @Books_n_Whatnot Hello how are you doing today ? 2y
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catiewithac
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Lindsey Fitzharris delivers again! This time she follows a pioneer of plastic surgery who worked miracles for many veterans of WWI. Fitzharris is a gifted storyteller who shines much-needed light on neglected aspects of the history of medicine. Recommended for reading buffs of war, history, and medicine.

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