What do you think?
Rate this book
I'm Dr. Red Duke
James Henry “Red” Duke Jr., MD, was an icon of twentieth-century medicine, a pioneer and visionary, and a lifelong son of Texas who, far from forgetting his roots, reveled in them. Bryant Boutwell’s entertaining and meticulously researched biography of Red Duke, based on years of interviews with Duke and his family, friends, and colleagues as well as painstaking exploration of both public archives and personal papers and effects, not only pays tribute to a great surgeon and his influence but also crafts a detailed and intimate portrait of the man behind the larger-than-life television image.
Not only did Duke found the Life Flight air ambulance service that helped place Memorial Hermann Hospital and the Texas Medical Center at the forefront of the nation’s trauma units, he also advanced the use of media communications for reaching the public with both common-sense and cutting-edge health information. His famous tagline—“From the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston . . . I’m Dr. Red Duke”—delivered in the deadpan drawl of a Texan, could be heard in countless homes during the broadcast of the local evening news during the 1980s and 1990s. Beyond these accomplishments, Duke was an Eagle Scout, an ordained minister, a medical missionary, a conservationist, a hunting guide, and a tank commander.
Featuring a wealth of previously unpublished images that help to chronicle Duke’s life and storied career, I’m Dr. Red Duke opens with a foreword by fellow Houstonian George H. W. Bush, who calls Duke “one of the brightest Points of Light Barbara and I have had the privilege to know.”
Not only did Duke found the Life Flight air ambulance service that helped place Memorial Hermann Hospital and the Texas Medical Center at the forefront of the nation’s trauma units, he also advanced the use of media communications for reaching the public with both common-sense and cutting-edge health information. His famous tagline—“From the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston . . . I’m Dr. Red Duke”—delivered in the deadpan drawl of a Texan, could be heard in countless homes during the broadcast of the local evening news during the 1980s and 1990s. Beyond these accomplishments, Duke was an Eagle Scout, an ordained minister, a medical missionary, a conservationist, a hunting guide, and a tank commander.
Featuring a wealth of previously unpublished images that help to chronicle Duke’s life and storied career, I’m Dr. Red Duke opens with a foreword by fellow Houstonian George H. W. Bush, who calls Duke “one of the brightest Points of Light Barbara and I have had the privilege to know.”
284 pages, Hardcover
Published September 5, 2018
6 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 6, 2020
Great and well put together book about a really interesting, intelligent, inspiring man. Dr. Red Duke was a huge part of making the Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Medical Center what it is today. As a middle and high schooler I remember watching Dr. Red Duke's segments on the Houston evening news. My parents enjoyed his cutting-edge medical news and health tips and my siblings and I loved his closing lines, "From the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston...I'm Dr. Red Duke." We all chimed-in, with proper Texas drawl...I'm Dr. Red Duke.
Besides being a world-renowned trauma surgeon, Dr. Duke was a lover of the land and a hunter, but he also understood the importance of conservation and wildlife management. This book tries to cover all these topics, but captures his medical background the most.
Dr. Red Duke was a one of a kind man; a colorful character with a larger than life presence and a passion for medicine, his patients and the outdoors. I did not realize that his life had crossed into so many various arenas. He will definitely be missed.
Besides being a world-renowned trauma surgeon, Dr. Duke was a lover of the land and a hunter, but he also understood the importance of conservation and wildlife management. This book tries to cover all these topics, but captures his medical background the most.
Dr. Red Duke was a one of a kind man; a colorful character with a larger than life presence and a passion for medicine, his patients and the outdoors. I did not realize that his life had crossed into so many various arenas. He will definitely be missed.
September 23, 2018
A fascinating book about the larger than life doctor who created Life Flight in Houston. A must read for anyone who admired or thought they knew this man. Kudos to Bryant Boutwell for a thorough in depth look at the life of Red Duke!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews