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A Heavy Reckoning: War, Medicine and Survival in Afghanistan and Beyond
What happens when you reach the threshold of life and death - and come back? As long as humans have lived on the planet, there have been wars, and injured soldiers and civilians. But today, as we engage in wars with increasingly sophisticated technology, we are able to bring people back from ever closer encounters with death. Historian Emily Mayhew explores the reality of medicine and injury in wartime, from the trenches of World War One to the plains of Afghanistan and the rehabilitation wards of Headley Court in Surrey. Mixing vivid and compelling stories of unexpected survival with astonishing insights from the front line of medicine, A Heavy Reckoning is a book about how far we have come in saving, healing and restoring the human body. From the plastic surgeon battling to restore function to a blasted hand to the double amputee learning to walk again on prosthetic legs, Mayhew gives us a new understanding of the limits of human life and the extraordinary costs paid physically and mentally by casualties all over the world.
320 pages, Paperback
Published May 3, 2018
12 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 1, 2025
re-read / scim read last 50 or so pages
read this before med school and now reading iy having worked with some of the people related to the book and indeed seen trauma patterns similarr to whats in the book - its a very different read for me.
This books accessibke, easy to read and absolutely vital to truly appreciate the immense heroism of a war zone medic - these people are beyond top of the game. its inspirational, and i am glad to have re read it.
Important, I know, but still dont find much interest in the latter 1/4, hence 3 stars
read this before med school and now reading iy having worked with some of the people related to the book and indeed seen trauma patterns similarr to whats in the book - its a very different read for me.
This books accessibke, easy to read and absolutely vital to truly appreciate the immense heroism of a war zone medic - these people are beyond top of the game. its inspirational, and i am glad to have re read it.
Important, I know, but still dont find much interest in the latter 1/4, hence 3 stars
January 19, 2019
Loved this insight into the medical treatment of blast casualties. Well written and worth reading.
January 20, 2019
This is a very important book. It is very well researched and written. It follows closely the experiences of individuals involved with blast injury and traumatic limb amputation. I found it astonishing to learn that many of the things we are learning about this type of injury today, were actually learnt during WWI and the information was lost. The author hopes currently that this will not be the case today. We learn about injury from the point of wounding, through initial surgery, return to England, critical care and rehabilitation. In addition to this there are also chapters on the future of treatment for traumatic amputations and prosthetics. Although I was surprised in the section regarding the innovative technique proposed for creating better stumps by using heel tissue, either generating it or transplanting that which has survived, the author did not mention Oscar Pistorius. His below knee stumps were created using heel tissue back in the 1980s I think.
Overall this is an excellent book. It opened my eyes to a few things. It is quite hard hitting but it is honest, brutally so. I definitely recommend.
Overall this is an excellent book. It opened my eyes to a few things. It is quite hard hitting but it is honest, brutally so. I definitely recommend.
February 18, 2018
What's freaking amazing is that the author (a historian) so completely, accurately and beautifully describes what have really been my very personal first hand experiences (deploying with a Role 3 hospital, rehabilitation of war-injured Soldiers, wrestling with how to care for PTSD-TBI-Chronic Pain). . .and yet I could never cover it all or explain it nearly as eloquently. Really amazing work. I noticed some did not like her writing style, but I enjoyed the way she wove stories about patients and providers into a very informative narrative about the chronicling of medical advances.
November 4, 2018
I bought this after hearing Emily in conversation with John McCarthy at the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival. I’m not a great reader of non-fiction books so approached this with a bit of trepidation. However, it’s so well written with stories of personal triumph, ingenuity, and resilience woven throughout that it was a totally engrossing read. It’s not a comfortable read by any means but I have an even greater admiration for and appreciation of those who serve our country and those in the medical and academic professions who help them survive against all the odds.
August 10, 2017
This is a must read. Compelling mix of science and stunning writing on a fascinating and often sad and by turns uplifting topic. Amazing men and women whose stories are told so well. Loved it.
September 4, 2024
If I had to use one word to describe this book, that one word would be: MORBID. Though, in all fairness, kinda hard not to be morbid when repeatedly writing about blast injuries, amputations, death or near-death in war, the long road to recovery...)
The second word I'd use to describe this book is: HEAVY, which is aptly already in the title. Several times over the last few days, when opening this book, I'd read a page, a half-a-page, a paragraph, and mention to my significant other, "I gotta stop reading this book." It's just... a lot. And maybe for someone like me, a veteran, I'm not the type of person who "needs" to read this book.
The third word I'd use to describe this book is: HOPEFUL, but a very hard-earned hope. People coming back from the brink of death—or who, considering the span of their wounds, are unremarkably not dead—and their bodies just in that chemical soup of inflammation; of how the pressure wave of a blast affects not only a limb or the brain, but the entire body; the hallucinations and combativeness of some of those coming out of anesthesia; finding themselves surrounded by teary-eyed family in a hospital room when they last remember being surrounded by their teammates fighting and shouting and sand...
I did find this book informative. It's particularly of value when Mayhew relays the stories told to her by, say, the soldier in the hospital bed, the medic at the forward surgical unit in Bastion, the plastic surgeon who specialized in repairing hands, the father of a wounded soldier who helped build a garden at Headley, a rehabilitative center in England specializing in teaching soldiers to walk again, prosthetics, pain management, etc.
I did question a few of the facts, such as when Mayhew mentions that the Chinook (the helicopter) is named after the Chinook salmon—I was like, no, that's wrong. US Army helicopters are named after American Indian tribes: Apache, Lakota, Chinook... not the fish. Sometimes I get the feeling that many authors, myself included, will google something or assume something and put that in their book without really knowing what we're talking about. *Sigh* google is making "experts" out of us all... Anyhoo, I didn't find too, too many instances of that in this book. Overall, I found it to be pretty well-researched.
The personal stories Mayhew relays are really the best part of this book. That said, I am relieved to be done reading it. Putting it on the shelf with my notes and scribbles in the margins and dog ears. To be taken down and referenced only in the case of ABSOLUTE NEED.
The second word I'd use to describe this book is: HEAVY, which is aptly already in the title. Several times over the last few days, when opening this book, I'd read a page, a half-a-page, a paragraph, and mention to my significant other, "I gotta stop reading this book." It's just... a lot. And maybe for someone like me, a veteran, I'm not the type of person who "needs" to read this book.
The third word I'd use to describe this book is: HOPEFUL, but a very hard-earned hope. People coming back from the brink of death—or who, considering the span of their wounds, are unremarkably not dead—and their bodies just in that chemical soup of inflammation; of how the pressure wave of a blast affects not only a limb or the brain, but the entire body; the hallucinations and combativeness of some of those coming out of anesthesia; finding themselves surrounded by teary-eyed family in a hospital room when they last remember being surrounded by their teammates fighting and shouting and sand...
I did find this book informative. It's particularly of value when Mayhew relays the stories told to her by, say, the soldier in the hospital bed, the medic at the forward surgical unit in Bastion, the plastic surgeon who specialized in repairing hands, the father of a wounded soldier who helped build a garden at Headley, a rehabilitative center in England specializing in teaching soldiers to walk again, prosthetics, pain management, etc.
I did question a few of the facts, such as when Mayhew mentions that the Chinook (the helicopter) is named after the Chinook salmon—I was like, no, that's wrong. US Army helicopters are named after American Indian tribes: Apache, Lakota, Chinook... not the fish. Sometimes I get the feeling that many authors, myself included, will google something or assume something and put that in their book without really knowing what we're talking about. *Sigh* google is making "experts" out of us all... Anyhoo, I didn't find too, too many instances of that in this book. Overall, I found it to be pretty well-researched.
The personal stories Mayhew relays are really the best part of this book. That said, I am relieved to be done reading it. Putting it on the shelf with my notes and scribbles in the margins and dog ears. To be taken down and referenced only in the case of ABSOLUTE NEED.
September 3, 2018
This book was recommended by a friend I met by chance during a trip through Southern Africa. I have since recommended it to other people. There are many things I love about A Heavy Reckoning. I am grateful for Emily’s accessible explanations of pathophysiological processes, medical treatments and procedures. I appreciate how she gives the casualties of war a human dimension by bringing forth the stories of a few individuals who adapted and strived despite their injuries, whilst reminding the reader of the challenges we still face in treating traumatic injuries. The book is informative, illuminating and inspirational – a must read.
March 31, 2023
This was a book that I thought would be heavy going and that I would struggle to read all at once. I was very wrong and couldn’t put it down. A fascinating insight into the medicine of war. I’m truly humbled to have read about the work that the medics did out in the desert. Better care than in a current NHS hospital I would stick my neck out and say. And that’s not a slight on the NHS at all but being treated by people who have lived through what you’ve experienced has to bond you in a way like no other. My worry is how these soldiers will cope as life moves on but the advances we have made so far are phenomenal. A truly amazing read.
May 6, 2023
A Heavy Reckoning is a fantastic sequel to Emily Mayhew’s book Wounded based on WWI. Emily’s description of the entire British trauma system follows the journey of casualties who survived unsurvival wounds fighting in Afghanistan. She describes in detail the patients journey from the point of injury, the aeromedical evacuation to Camp Bastion and then the Strategic AME home to England and all the post surgical rehabilitation as the patient (most multiple limb amputees) back to what is now their new normal life.
A must read for military medical personnel who want to better understand military medicine and what each clinician does throughout a patients journey home.
A must read for military medical personnel who want to better understand military medicine and what each clinician does throughout a patients journey home.
May 8, 2019
This was a very well researched and informative history of a very important subject. I appreciated the blending of historical facts with the first person stories from people who'd been there. Thank you Ms Mayhew for writing about this difficult, but important, subject. My only complaint is that her very readable, plain language account of this history is sometimes a bit too conversational. I appreciate complete sentences.
February 7, 2020
Amazing book
A somewhat biased review because it’s a topic that really interests me, but this book is beautifully written. Emotional despite being factual, engaging from start to finish. I do not have enough praise for Emily Mayhew.
A somewhat biased review because it’s a topic that really interests me, but this book is beautifully written. Emotional despite being factual, engaging from start to finish. I do not have enough praise for Emily Mayhew.
March 27, 2020
A truly immersive and eye-opening book about the evolution and journey of trauma medicine in the military.
August 1, 2023
Brilliant
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews