Being in the medical field myself I absolutely loved reading the trauma chronicles! Such a wonderful story of the heroic efforts of surgeon Stephen Westaby and his dedication to the medical field. This book highlights several stories that reveal a time in Modern Medicine that is truly remarkable. I enjoyed each of the stories and the testament to his work. I would highly recommend this book to all healthcare professionals.

This is an interesting, emotionally intense, and informative memoir by an innovative cardiothoracic neurosurgeon. Dr. Stephen Westaby shares stories from his many years in cutting-edge surgery and medical research across several continents. The book concludes with his comments on the NHS’s failures responding to COVID-19 (complaints that will sound familiar to many of us in the United States as well).

I found Westaby’s stories compelling and fairly easy to understand, although some passages might be difficult for those without any background in anatomy and physiology.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys memoirs and is curious about the history of trauma medicine and cardiothoracic surgery.

I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as I hadn’t read any of his previous works, however, as I dove into the story, I slowly realized how much of a complete jerk Dr Westaby was. And this was the first time I’d read a nonfiction book where I really didn’t like the lead character.

Dr Westaby explains that his impulsiveness and single-mindedness came from a frontal lobe injury he had suffered playing rugby. This, of course, suggests the unfortunate situation that Phineas Gage found himself in after tamping iron pierced his brain and completely changed his personality.

But the more I read this book, I realized that the story isn’t about Dr Westaby as much as it is about the creation of specialty trauma hospitals in England. I was already familiar with some of the history of shock trauma and R Adams Cowley efforts to centralize trauma treatment to hospitals best equipped to handle them in the United States. (Dr Cowley also coined the term “golden hour” to emphasize that patients have the best chance of surviving if they are treated within 60 minutes of their trauma.)

“The Trauma Chronicles” was well-written and reasonable easy to read. It would be of interest to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of the creation of trauma hospitals in England or interested in medical history.

4/5 stars

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion which I have given here.]

“The Trauma Chronicles” by Stephen Westaby is a graphic telling of some of the key cases of Westaby’s storied career. One quickly sees the skill a surgeon must have, as well as a pretty significant God complex. The book is also highly damning of the NHS, but seems fair coming from Westaby given his wealth of global experience. It’s a compelling read to be sure. Thanks to #NetGalley and #MenschPublishing for the opportunity to preview this book.