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Winged Scalpel: A Surgeon at the Frontline of Disaster
In this fast paced narrative, ex-SAS surgeon Richard Villar provides a very personal insight into the difficulties, dangers and occasional virtual impossibility of providing medical aid to disaster areas and war zones.
He shares his remarkable experiences in the aftermath of three major earthquakes Kashmir (2005), Java (2006) and Haiti (2010) as well as in the Libyan civil war (2011).
Readers are given a no-holds-barred introduction to a world which the vast majority will have only scant knowledge of. The author describes what happens on the ground before a full aid program swings into action. Arriving in a stricken area with the infrastructure destroyed, his small dedicated team can take nothing for granted; water, power, shelter and the rule of law are likely to be non-existent and disease and shortages of food and water ever present. They meet challenges that the rest of us can only imagine and are under intense pressure to help, comfort and sustain overwhelming numbers of trauma struck men, women and children whose worlds have been turned upside down.
Winged Scalpel is not only a riveting read but highly instructional and informative. From his own point of view, the authors experiences prove that you can take a man out of the SAS, but you cannot take the SAS out of the man.
He shares his remarkable experiences in the aftermath of three major earthquakes Kashmir (2005), Java (2006) and Haiti (2010) as well as in the Libyan civil war (2011).
Readers are given a no-holds-barred introduction to a world which the vast majority will have only scant knowledge of. The author describes what happens on the ground before a full aid program swings into action. Arriving in a stricken area with the infrastructure destroyed, his small dedicated team can take nothing for granted; water, power, shelter and the rule of law are likely to be non-existent and disease and shortages of food and water ever present. They meet challenges that the rest of us can only imagine and are under intense pressure to help, comfort and sustain overwhelming numbers of trauma struck men, women and children whose worlds have been turned upside down.
Winged Scalpel is not only a riveting read but highly instructional and informative. From his own point of view, the authors experiences prove that you can take a man out of the SAS, but you cannot take the SAS out of the man.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2013
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40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 5, 2025
Richard Villar is a British ex-Special Forces surgeon. The SAS. He has already written a book about his time working for them. Back in 2005 his name was registered with at least a dozen charities stating that he was available to help in a disaster. The first one he gets called up to help with is the Kashmir earthquake which ultimately killed 75,000 people.
His first experience to volunteering is not so good. He just wanted to get into the field and help but there is a lot of bureaucracy, meetings and waiting around. Each volunteering trip comes with its own frustrations. He helped in the Java and Haiti earthquakes in 2006 and 2010. He was out in Libya in 2011 when Gaddafi was being overthrown. This is more like one of those ‘Dark Tourism’ books but at the extreme end. He tends to go over how he managed to get to and set-up in places rather than going over any surgical operations although some of the descriptions of the Haiti survivors that had been crushed by falling buildings is horrific.
The Kindle edition that I read has photos as well which show the conditions at that time in the various places he went but these are placed less than a third of the way through the book which was odd. It is easy to read and fascinating in the way that aid programs work or don’t. We certainly need people like Richard that offer their time and expertise to help others in distress.
His first experience to volunteering is not so good. He just wanted to get into the field and help but there is a lot of bureaucracy, meetings and waiting around. Each volunteering trip comes with its own frustrations. He helped in the Java and Haiti earthquakes in 2006 and 2010. He was out in Libya in 2011 when Gaddafi was being overthrown. This is more like one of those ‘Dark Tourism’ books but at the extreme end. He tends to go over how he managed to get to and set-up in places rather than going over any surgical operations although some of the descriptions of the Haiti survivors that had been crushed by falling buildings is horrific.
The Kindle edition that I read has photos as well which show the conditions at that time in the various places he went but these are placed less than a third of the way through the book which was odd. It is easy to read and fascinating in the way that aid programs work or don’t. We certainly need people like Richard that offer their time and expertise to help others in distress.
April 29, 2018
Superb
This book was very insightful. Whilst I realised that international aid took a lot of organisation I was shocked at how much time was wasted with bureaucracy. How many more !Ives you!d be saved by these wonderful volunteers, if red tape were swept aside? Not my normal type of reading but I would recommend any one to read it and find out how their charitable donations are used.
This book was very insightful. Whilst I realised that international aid took a lot of organisation I was shocked at how much time was wasted with bureaucracy. How many more !Ives you!d be saved by these wonderful volunteers, if red tape were swept aside? Not my normal type of reading but I would recommend any one to read it and find out how their charitable donations are used.
May 14, 2019
A fascinating account of one surgeon with a military background responding to the call for aid following natural disasters and wars. Well worth reading to understand some of the frustrations and incredible difficulties of moving people and equipment into unstable areas, and the bravery of aid workers intent on making a difference.
May 13, 2018
Interesting Book
This book is both informative and interesting as he tells about his experiences helping out after disasters and war zones.
This book is both informative and interesting as he tells about his experiences helping out after disasters and war zones.
November 27, 2023
Inspiring, sad at times, gripping.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews