Reviews

The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I by Lindsey Fitzharris

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emmabeckman's review

4.0

Very interesting. Might have liked it better if I had read the physical version--or at least had access to the version with pictures. Glad the author made sure to mention that Gillies was also a pioneer of gender affirming surgery as well.

dmsreader09's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative slow-paced

4.0

katiescho741's review against another edition

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5.0

An amazing book. I think events like WW1 can be so sprawling and complex, that it's hard to fully understand the human horrors of it. But this book shows us the things that humans to do each other.
I appreciated her inclusion of the photos that were taken of some of the patients in the face and jaw hospital, and the way the author presented the information was excellent. I liked that she gave us some basic context of the First World War, in between the personal stories of the men with facial injuries.
The details about the front, the triage units, and the makeshift hospital tents were horrifying. I'm a long-term horror fan, but this book is one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking things I've read.
A fascinating and horrifying book.

alterner's review

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informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5

Another great and well-researched literary work from the author of The Butchering Art. It was a fun note to see the connection points historically as well in both the figures of her works and the impact one had on the other- even if not crossing completely over. The last bit about Dillon was a great addition that wasn't expected but was very welcomed. Harold Gillies shows to be progressive in both surgery and morals even by today's standards.

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