"...a detailed and touching account of one of the lesser known occupations of war."
—ForeWord
"Powerful, thought-provoking and unforgettable, A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq stands alone among accounts of the Iraq war. Unlike other authors, Chris Coppola has chosen to focus on the two issues that transcend all conflict: our mortality and our sense of morality. Writing with poignant honesty, he illuminates the well-worn generalizations of war with trenchant details, recounting stories about American and Iraqi individuals who must bear, as well as care for, the often tragic consequences of combat. You will never again look at the Iraq war—or any war for that matter—in quite the same way."
—Dr. Pauline Chen, author of Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality, NY Times columnist
"War opens many wounds--physical, psychological, societal, and spiritual. A talented soldier can minimize some of those wounds, and a talented surgeon can repair the physical ones, but a real healer tries to address them all. In a world with no shortage of wars, Dr. Coppola's memoir provides us with an intimate look at what it takes to be soldier, a surgeon, and a healer."
—Charles London, author of One Day the Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War
"Chris Coppola’s deeply moving memoir plunges us into the shattering reality of war, the war of military doctors, nurses and medics confronting the shot-up, bombed and burned bodies funneling into the Air Force combat hospital in Balad, Iraq. The wounded are soldiers and civilians, men and women, friendly Iraqis and enemy insurgents and—most appallingly—children."
—Terry Sanders, Academy Award-winning filmmaker and director of Fighting For Life
"An unflinching memoir about the casualties of war, with powerful insights about both Americans and Iraqis, all artfully penned with an apolitical flair. Put Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq on your must-read list today!"
—Catherine Mann, USA Today best-selling author
"Dr. Chris Coppola’s remarkable account of his experience as a combat surgeon in Iraq throws a whole new light on medicine under fire . . . a great read and tribute to the American spirit of generosity."
—Dr. Khassan Baiev, author of The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire
". . . compelling, heartwrenching . . . . Coppola reveals the true victims of war; the children of Iraq."
—Gunnar Swanson, War Kids Relief
"Having been there, the book conjured up memories—not all of them good ones—and actually caused me to discover feelings about some things that I, myself, had been unable to put into words or perhaps even acknowledge at the time."
—Ret. Col. USAF Don Jenkins, MD, Mayo Clinic
"With a quick wit, and a fine tongue, Coppola brings a fresh voice to the war."
—Michael Anthony, author of Mass Casualties: A Young Medic’s True Story of Death, Deception, and Dishonor in Iraq
"Chris Coppola is the kind of guy you want to have serving your country: a dutiful, sincere husband, father, surgeon and soldier. If everyone involved in the war machine were like him, there would be no war..."
—authorknows (4-Star LibraryThing.com member review)
"This is a powerful book--for anyone far removed from, or without a basic understanding of, the horrors of an active war zone, this book is sure an eye opener. It will make you think things like "why bother trying to save that one life?" or "why do humans kill one another?" or "what is the point"? Coppola had those thoughts himself and answered them as a medical doctor and father would. The author struggles with the humanity he sees in his blown-apart patients in Iraq, the safety he experiences while at home in Texas, and the relationships he builds during his deployments."
—janelittlefield (5-Star Librarything.com member review)
"My daughter recommended this book to me and I'm glad she did. It's the first time I've ever read a first person account of someone from our military's experience in Iraq. Not only did I gain insight into what our troops experience--the conditions, the range of feelings, and oftentimes the internal conflict. I also feel like I now have a better sense of the war itself (whether I agree with it or not), and what the Iraqi people experience. Particularly for people like me, who rarely come into contact with people serving in the military, I highly recommend reading this book.
"
—Naomi Kayne (5-Star Goodreads.com member review)
"This is one hell of a good book. It's good as a memoir, as a military memoir, as a personal look at an awful war that perhaps never should have happened - all of those things and more. But mostly it's good because of the writing. The subtitle calls Coppola a pediatric surgeon. Well, he is that certainly, and undoubtedly a very good one too, but as far as this book is concerned, Coppola is, first and foremost, a writer, and a damn good one at that. His Catholic school and Ivy League education are probably at least partially responsible for this, but I prefer to think that there's more to it than that…"
—TimBazzett (5-Star LibraryThing.com member review)
"The medical miracles Coppola and other surgeons and nurses at the military hospital performed every day belie the fact that the miracles occur in tents and military shipping containers not state-of-the-art emergency rooms. The wounds are violent and horrific and almost beyond imagination and yet the surgeons and nurses care for the patients with unflagging energy, even when sleep is as elusive as a rainstorm in the dessert."
—zwervers (5-Star LibraryThing.com member review)
"Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq will have me viewing every bomb blast reported from Iraq in a different light.
You see, thanks to Uncle Sam, Chris Coppola was able to graduate from John Hopkins University medical school to become a pediatric surgeon. In exchange for this priviledge Dr. Coppola was obligated to spend 6 years of his professional life as an Air Force Reserve. Much of his time was spent at Wilford Hall, Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas but was interrupted twice for tours of duty at an Air Force Base in Balad, Iraq…
"
—Lynda (4-Star Goodreads.com member review)
"Coppola accomplishes an impressive number of literary feats in a subtle manner. Written, ostensibly, about the Iraq War, this memoir manages to be--almost completely--apolitical. This is not to say that Dr. Coppola does not share the opinions he held pre- and post-deployment. He just doesn't express his opinions as facts and has the humility to admit when he doesn't know something..."
—jarrodf (4-Star LibraryThing.com member review)
