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The Facemaker
- One Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I
- Narrated by: Daniel Gillies
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
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The Facemaker
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
From the moment the first machine gun rang out over the Western Front, one thing was clear: mankind's military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities. The war caused carnage on an industrial scale and the nature of trench warfare meant that thousands sustained facial injuries. In The Facemaker, award-winning historian Lindsey Fitzharris tells the true story of the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, who dedicated himself to restoring the faces of a brutalised generation.
Gillies, a Cambridge-educated New Zealander, established one of the world's first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction. 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 facial differences, Gillies restored not just faces, but identities and 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 and art can merge and of what courage and imagination can accomplish in the presence of relentless horror.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What listeners say about The Facemaker
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- audra bennett
- 15-06-22
amazing
Best story ever daniel gillies read it well I couldn't stop listing to it I was so into it x
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- greengranny
- 16-11-22
The roots of plastic surgery
This is story of Harold Gillies and his amazing determination to reconstruct the terrible facial wounds of injured servicemen during and after the First World War. It is also the story of the dentist and others who helped, and the bravery of the men themselves.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 13-06-22
Amazing book
This was an absolutely fantastic book. It gave a clear insight into what work went into helping those that fought in the war and how hard and harrowing it was not just on those that fought but those that worked tirelessly to help those injured. Daniel Gillies helped to bring this story to life with his audio and the voices he portrayed throughout. Definitely one to listen to or even read for yourself.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mike Griffiths
- 13-12-22
What a great person he was
This deserves to be more widely read/shared than it probably already is. First rate research and writing
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lisa
- 06-07-22
Fantastic Book
A fascinating subject, singing the praises of an incredible man. Extremely well written and a pleasure to listen to. Highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Starskey
- 18-08-22
Inspirational
Remarkable story and great account. US author and narrator, with famous surname, irritating that the medical and titles pronunciation is so incorrect. But very good
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Keenan
- 04-03-23
Great Overview of Surgical Advances
Very much enjoyed the tale of a remarkable man and the background of the challenges facing society during WW1.
Narration was peppered with mispronunciations and peculiarities of meter.
Lancette for Lancet.
PS Ayr’s on Scotlands West coast.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 15-07-22
An amazing story. The truth is better than fiction
I don't know how Dr Linsey Fitzharris does it. The Butchering Art was no fluke. This book is the amazing telling of a story I'd never had thought I'd have an interest. Listened to it over 3 days. At times horrific. At times beautiful. Wonderful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Naomi
- 12-01-23
Amazing!
My favourite part of history is the history of medicine and surgery. I’ve read Lindsey’s previous book (The Butchering Art) which was also a biography, but it really doesn’t feel like it… She’s so good at telling a story and setting a scene, I really bonded with the soldiers she writes about in this book. We rarely hear about facial disfigurements during the First World War, it’s the missing limbs that everyone knows about; even me before this book. I’d never really thought that faces were destroyed but when you think about it, of course they were.
10/10 narration ☺️
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- book_ish
- 04-07-22
Fascinating....An exceptional listen!
An completely absorbing, fascinating listen. Glad I have learnt about Harold Gillies (and others) pioneering work. Really lovely to have a descendant of Harold Gillies wonderful reading of this amazing book. Definitely worth a credit! *****+
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