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gimmethatbook's review against another edition
5.0
THE FACEMAKER is an impressive, intense, and fact-packed book, not only about the development of plastic surgery, but also an insight into World War One and its devastating effects. I admit my understanding of the war was negligible prior to reading this, but now I have learned enough to have my interest piqued and I want to learn more. I have just requested a review copy of MEN OF 18 IN 1918 by Frederick James Hodges, a book that I would have certainly passed over if I had not read THE FACEMAKER.
Dr Harold Gillies is the titular surgeon who is constantly creating new ways to help disfigured soldiers (warning! Link leads to extremely graphic photos that may be disturbing) live normal lives. It is noted that those who had lost limbs were celebrated as heroes fighting for their country, while those who sustained facial injuries were shunned and considered freaks. The reasoning behind this is: faces and their ability to create expressions are what makes us “human”, and any deviation of what is considered “normal” creates discomfort. A face without a nose, or with a shattered jaw is difficult to look at, and so those poor soldiers were hidden away from the general public. The wards where those men were kept contained no mirrors, lest they catch a glimpse of themselves and lose the will to live.
Gillies is not the only doctor mentioned in this book; many other courageous surgeons contributed to the effort to repair these poor soldiers. The book is interspersed with descriptions of action on the Western Front, excerpts from diary entries from the soldiers that were lucky enough to have their journals survive (even if they didn’t), and accounts of how collaboration among the doctors furthered their knowledge and experience.
What fascinated me the most was hearing about the soldier’s activity on the battlefield, how he came to be injured, then his ordeal with Dr Gillies, enduring multiple operations while new techniques were tried time and time again. The book does contain a lot of graphic detail, so if you are squeamish, be aware.
I learned about artwork bringing attention to the soldier’s plight – one of the more poignant ones is the painting by John Singer Sargent entitled Gassed. The human cost of war is depicted in this 21-foot-long epic work. Other paintings and drawings are noted throughout the book, explaining how these methods helped the physicians rebuild faces. Sculpture was also used; multiple casts were made as the recreation and correction of each visage progressed.
The epilogue of THE FACEMAKER notes how plastic surgery evolved from a necessity to a luxury; rhinoplasty, facelifts, and the like were performed by Gillies long after the war was over. He continued to help others feel better about themselves until he died in 1960. He was a true visionary whose work ethic and kindness made the world a better place for many, many others.
Dr Harold Gillies is the titular surgeon who is constantly creating new ways to help disfigured soldiers (warning! Link leads to extremely graphic photos that may be disturbing) live normal lives. It is noted that those who had lost limbs were celebrated as heroes fighting for their country, while those who sustained facial injuries were shunned and considered freaks. The reasoning behind this is: faces and their ability to create expressions are what makes us “human”, and any deviation of what is considered “normal” creates discomfort. A face without a nose, or with a shattered jaw is difficult to look at, and so those poor soldiers were hidden away from the general public. The wards where those men were kept contained no mirrors, lest they catch a glimpse of themselves and lose the will to live.
Gillies is not the only doctor mentioned in this book; many other courageous surgeons contributed to the effort to repair these poor soldiers. The book is interspersed with descriptions of action on the Western Front, excerpts from diary entries from the soldiers that were lucky enough to have their journals survive (even if they didn’t), and accounts of how collaboration among the doctors furthered their knowledge and experience.
What fascinated me the most was hearing about the soldier’s activity on the battlefield, how he came to be injured, then his ordeal with Dr Gillies, enduring multiple operations while new techniques were tried time and time again. The book does contain a lot of graphic detail, so if you are squeamish, be aware.
I learned about artwork bringing attention to the soldier’s plight – one of the more poignant ones is the painting by John Singer Sargent entitled Gassed. The human cost of war is depicted in this 21-foot-long epic work. Other paintings and drawings are noted throughout the book, explaining how these methods helped the physicians rebuild faces. Sculpture was also used; multiple casts were made as the recreation and correction of each visage progressed.
The epilogue of THE FACEMAKER notes how plastic surgery evolved from a necessity to a luxury; rhinoplasty, facelifts, and the like were performed by Gillies long after the war was over. He continued to help others feel better about themselves until he died in 1960. He was a true visionary whose work ethic and kindness made the world a better place for many, many others.
gogglor's review against another edition
3.75
Informative. Harold Gillies was clearly a wonderful man, and I’m glad he was in this world. Glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, and Dysphoria
voldemin's review against another edition
5.0
Diese Hörbücher sind absolut fantastisch. Ich habe selten etwas so gut Vertontes gehört. Auch der zweite Band von Fitzharris historischen Horror-Reihe war so interessant und gut recherchiert, dass ich nichts anderes als fünf Sterne geben konnte. Ich bin super geknickt, dass es auf deutsch noch kein drittes Buch gibt, weil das hätte ich locker noch im Anschluss gehört.
catatlanta's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.75
mcc's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
5.0
This one has been on my shelf for a while, as the glowing recommendation from excellent non-fiction author Erik Larson piqued my interest. But for some reason the cover kept putting me off. I think sub-consciously I kept thinking it was about plastic surgery and therefore shallow? And while it is about plastic surgery and it's fascinating origins, it does a wonderful job conveying how important of an aspect of medicine it is and a great reminder that for a great many of the people that need plastic surgery it is the farthest thing from trivial or shallow. Very informative but never dull.
annekap's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
I really enjoyed this! A well written, well researched book on one of the pioneering plastic surgeons, who honed his craft working on men with facial wounds during WW1. It’s cleverly written, interposing general WW1 history with a biography of Gillies and (best of all) personal stories from the men he operated on. The photographs included in the book really added to my experience reading it. Will be recommending this widely!