Ever since man began to band together to combat other bands of men for whatever reason there has been one common factor to all armies. That is how to care for those who are wounded. Unfortunately medical science has lagged far behind man’s ability to cause mass casualties on opposing forces. Despite the continual playing of ‘catch-up’ there have always been mean and women dedicated to caring for those who have been harmed in combat. It is for this reason and these people that Dr. Todd Baker has written this book.
The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been especially burdensome to the medical services of the armed forces. This is not due to the ferocity of the campaigns, but instead to the almost personal natures of the weaponry in use, primarily the IED or Improvised Explosive Device. The injuries caused by these weapons are tragic in relation to the cost and ease of their deployment. This puts an even greater burden on medical personnel.
A major reason that these weapons of terror haven’t succeeded is the dedication and ability of these very same medical personnel. Dr. Baker does an admirable job of portraying an accurate and engrossing view of the day-to-day saving of lives. In some ways Dr. Baker’s descriptions of events are almost clinical which adds a stark realism to it. He wastes no adjectives to emphasize that which is in need of none.
As stated previously some descriptions appear almost clinical in their stark realism. This is not to take anything away from the story itself. It takes a true talent and lots of experience to write in this style. It’s easy to open up a thesaurus or to use clichés like “it was a dark and stormy night,” but to be matter of fact and still put the reader in the author’s crosshairs makes this book well worth the reading.
“Baghdad E.R.” is definitely highly recommended on all levels.
Reviewer: John Helman, Allbooks Reviews.www.allbooksreviewint.com
Title: Baghdad ER
Author: Todd Baker, MD
Publisher: Gray Fox Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-578-06992-0
Pages: 371
Price: $15.00 US
For more info: www.baghdadER.com
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