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Bad Medicine
After growing up as a desert rat in the Coober Pedy outback, Terry Ledgard was no stranger to mischief and adventure. Having survived puberty unscathed, he joined the Army and rose through the ranks to become an SAS medic, and soon found himself heading for Afghanistan. Life in Afghanistan was hectic and intense. In between life-and-death missions and makeshift surgery out in the field, pranks and mischief kept spirits up back on the base. Courage under fire was important, but maybe not as important as being to laugh it all off at the end of the day. As Terry integrated back into the Real World, his life became a slow-motion train wreck when he faced a gritty battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Luckily, though, the Army had taught him everything he needed to overcome the affliction, and through hard work, determination and his trademark humour, he reclaimed himself. Immediate, funny and often outrageous in its honesty, Bad Medicine is an exhilarating on-the-ground account of life as an SAS medic in the world's most intense warzone.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 20, 2018
Great book, the author tends to write exactly how I expect he would talk, giving a intresting insight into life as a medic with the SAS.
January 4, 2017
Interesting insight into a medics life in Afghanistan and his personal PTSD and responses. Some amusing moments and a bit like Don't Tell Mum I Work on The Rigs, She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in A whorehouse
September 14, 2017
Bad Medicine – the colloquial name for the RAAMC unit supporting the SAS regiment is also the name of Terry Ledgard’s book of his 6 month posting as a SAS Medic in Afghanistan.
However, this is not merely a boy’s own adventure book but includes a coming of age story of growing up in the classical back of Bourke towns of Coober Pedy and Lightning Ridge. It is also about sliding doors moments of enlisting, and advice from old hands in boot camp. The meat of the book consists of his time in the Army and his training both military and medical. The reader should be aware that an SAS medic or doctor needs to be doubly qualified i.e. to meet all the military and physical requirements of an SAS soldier as well as having the medical skills. The description of this military and medical training is eye opening and a world away from life as junior medical officer in a metropolitan hospital. In vignettes that will appeal to medical practitioners, Terry meets luminaries such as Drs Gordian Fulde, Charlie Teo, and Brendan Nelson (as Minister of Defence) in his training.
Terry does not spare the reader from the good, the bad and the ugly details of his Afghanistan posting which took place when he was 22 years of age. There are more vignettes of other legendary Australians on the same posting such as the VC holder Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith.
The events that Terry is involved in gives this reader pause as to how a soldier can possibly endure such conditions and yet still remain an effective medic and soldier….impressive indeed.
The book then follows Terry’s re-integration back into civilian life at age 23/24, and his struggles with PTSD and the effect on his relationships. His description of his own personal experience of PTSD is required reading for any doctor that may be treating military veterans in the future. Without spoiling the story, we travel with Terry as wrestles with re-integrating with civilian life including a trek on the Kokoda trail, and a recognition that he “…shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat….”
The book never sags through its 250pages. Terry remains the typical laconic country lad with self-deprecating humour so that there is never a dull page. Bad Medicine is a quick yet rewarding read for those under time constraints and is highly recommended for doctors and allied health personnel. If you live in Newtown, the Sydney Council Library has 2 copies under Dewey number 355.345 LEDG.
However, this is not merely a boy’s own adventure book but includes a coming of age story of growing up in the classical back of Bourke towns of Coober Pedy and Lightning Ridge. It is also about sliding doors moments of enlisting, and advice from old hands in boot camp. The meat of the book consists of his time in the Army and his training both military and medical. The reader should be aware that an SAS medic or doctor needs to be doubly qualified i.e. to meet all the military and physical requirements of an SAS soldier as well as having the medical skills. The description of this military and medical training is eye opening and a world away from life as junior medical officer in a metropolitan hospital. In vignettes that will appeal to medical practitioners, Terry meets luminaries such as Drs Gordian Fulde, Charlie Teo, and Brendan Nelson (as Minister of Defence) in his training.
Terry does not spare the reader from the good, the bad and the ugly details of his Afghanistan posting which took place when he was 22 years of age. There are more vignettes of other legendary Australians on the same posting such as the VC holder Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith.
The events that Terry is involved in gives this reader pause as to how a soldier can possibly endure such conditions and yet still remain an effective medic and soldier….impressive indeed.
The book then follows Terry’s re-integration back into civilian life at age 23/24, and his struggles with PTSD and the effect on his relationships. His description of his own personal experience of PTSD is required reading for any doctor that may be treating military veterans in the future. Without spoiling the story, we travel with Terry as wrestles with re-integrating with civilian life including a trek on the Kokoda trail, and a recognition that he “…shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat….”
The book never sags through its 250pages. Terry remains the typical laconic country lad with self-deprecating humour so that there is never a dull page. Bad Medicine is a quick yet rewarding read for those under time constraints and is highly recommended for doctors and allied health personnel. If you live in Newtown, the Sydney Council Library has 2 copies under Dewey number 355.345 LEDG.
January 1, 2025
Stars: 3.5 ⭐️
Genre: non-fiction - memoir
Does the blurb reflect the plot: yes, it gives a good overview.
Sum it up: I’m a sucker for a military memoir given that it’s a complete and utter world away from my life. As a genre, I find them extremely interesting to read, which is why I was looking forward to Bad Medicine. Not only is it a military memoir, but it promised a different perspective given that it’s written by a former medic with the Australian SAS. Whilst it was interesting, I felt that Ledgard wrote from a very restrained position about his time in Afghanistan. Bad Medicine certainly lacked the indepth details of many other military memoirs I’ve read by both Australian and UK soldiers. For me, this was a missed opportunity; even if he did then write frankly about the effects that his time in the Army had on his life once he retired. It is still a book that I recommend, and if you pick it up knowing that it doesn’t contain as much detail as other military memoirs, I think you will find it a solid read.
Who should read it: those who enjoy memoirs, particularly military and medical ones.
Bad Medicine is my twentieth read in #ktbookbingo. Category ‘Set in a country that you have not been to’. To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo or @peggyanne_readsandruns on Instagram.
Genre: non-fiction - memoir
Does the blurb reflect the plot: yes, it gives a good overview.
Sum it up: I’m a sucker for a military memoir given that it’s a complete and utter world away from my life. As a genre, I find them extremely interesting to read, which is why I was looking forward to Bad Medicine. Not only is it a military memoir, but it promised a different perspective given that it’s written by a former medic with the Australian SAS. Whilst it was interesting, I felt that Ledgard wrote from a very restrained position about his time in Afghanistan. Bad Medicine certainly lacked the indepth details of many other military memoirs I’ve read by both Australian and UK soldiers. For me, this was a missed opportunity; even if he did then write frankly about the effects that his time in the Army had on his life once he retired. It is still a book that I recommend, and if you pick it up knowing that it doesn’t contain as much detail as other military memoirs, I think you will find it a solid read.
Who should read it: those who enjoy memoirs, particularly military and medical ones.
Bad Medicine is my twentieth read in #ktbookbingo. Category ‘Set in a country that you have not been to’. To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo or @peggyanne_readsandruns on Instagram.
February 4, 2019
First hand account of a medic deployed with Australian SAS in Afghanistan, his journey to there, whilst there and after.
I have full admiration and respect for what our service women and men do on behalf of our country, and so too having read several works on special forces, the need for operational security. However for me, it's more what is left out of the story than is included in my rating of 3/5.
I have full admiration and respect for what our service women and men do on behalf of our country, and so too having read several works on special forces, the need for operational security. However for me, it's more what is left out of the story than is included in my rating of 3/5.
September 22, 2020
There are many better military memoirs out there. This is a reflection-free factual account that is largely uninvolving, like a very long Wikipedia entry. Read A Hell For Heroes instead, although it weaves fact and fiction it's an eminently better book.
March 13, 2019
Very good book, great insights into the like of a combat medic, a true honest and down to earth bloke!
July 4, 2016
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Terry Ledgard joined the Australian Army because he thought it would be pretty awesome, and chicks liked guys in a uniform. While being a chick magnet seemed to be the major thing on his mind, his career as an acting medic during the war in Afghanistan is fascinating reading.
As long as you can get past the extreme amounts of explicit swearing in the prologue and first chapter, you’ll be golden for reading this novel. If that sort of thing bothers you, I advise skipping straight ahead. I put the book down and tried to take a nap instead of keeping reading at that point. Anyway, I persevered and it got better from there.
Ledgard has come through war and PTSD and emerged the other side an excellent writer. There were sections where I thought it was a little unclear or stilted, but overall the writing was great. It felt like you were within those war scenes. Something I found interesting was that he never (or at least I don’t remember) talked about ‘the War on Terror’. It was simply us against them.
I’m going to give this four stars, by pretending I didn’t read the beginning of the novel. It’s not the usual style of things I would read, but it was really enjoyable, if rather confronting.
Terry Ledgard joined the Australian Army because he thought it would be pretty awesome, and chicks liked guys in a uniform. While being a chick magnet seemed to be the major thing on his mind, his career as an acting medic during the war in Afghanistan is fascinating reading.
As long as you can get past the extreme amounts of explicit swearing in the prologue and first chapter, you’ll be golden for reading this novel. If that sort of thing bothers you, I advise skipping straight ahead. I put the book down and tried to take a nap instead of keeping reading at that point. Anyway, I persevered and it got better from there.
Ledgard has come through war and PTSD and emerged the other side an excellent writer. There were sections where I thought it was a little unclear or stilted, but overall the writing was great. It felt like you were within those war scenes. Something I found interesting was that he never (or at least I don’t remember) talked about ‘the War on Terror’. It was simply us against them.
I’m going to give this four stars, by pretending I didn’t read the beginning of the novel. It’s not the usual style of things I would read, but it was really enjoyable, if rather confronting.
July 15, 2016
If your the type of person who enjoys a Robert G Barrett book while on a Beach in Bali, this could be the book for you. What shall we tell you? Tales, marvellous tales.
October 23, 2016
Different perspective than reading American military books. The author is very funny!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews