Blood, Sweat and Tea [Paperback]

Tom Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2006

A beautifully written insight into the stresses, strains and successes of working for the London Ambulance service. Is there anyone who hasn't wondered about the state of the occupant of an ambulance, screaming along with its sirens on and blue lights flashing? Have you? And have you wondered about the other people inside the ambulance, maybe fighting to save the patient's life? Or have you considered that the ambulance may be another 'maternataxi' ordered by a woman who can't be bothered to book a real cab and who then complains she can't smoke on the way to hospital? And that the medical technician inside might just be desperate to get back home from a busy shift, to have a cup of tea and catch up with his blog? Meet Tom Reynolds. Tom is an Emergency Medical Technician who works for the London Ambulance Service in East London. He has kept a blog of his daily working life since 2003 and his award-winning writing is, by turn, moving, cynical, funny, heart-rending and compassionate. It is never less than compelling. From the tragic to the hilarious, from the heartwarming to the terrifying, the stories Tom tells give a fascinating - and at times alarming - picture of life in inner-city Britain, and the people who are paid to mop up after it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of the most gripping blogs around - The Guardian

About the Author

Tom Reynolds began work for the NHS when he was 23 and specialised as an A&E nurse. He moved to the London Ambulance Service when he discovered that 'he wanted to 'torture the patients in A&E'. In his own words, this is 'not healthy'. He has kept his critically-acclaimed blog since 2003 and is frequently quoted in the national press. This is his first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Pb (August 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905548230
• ISBN-13: 978-1905548231
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,637,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

On July 22, 2003, an emergency medical technician living in London began writing a blog under the pseudonym Tom Reynolds. One mention by a writer for the Guardian and that blog has changed his life--with more people coming to know him as Tom Reynolds than as Brian Kellett. (http://randomreality.blogware.com/blog)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A raw and emotional look at ambulance service in London, October 2, 2006

By 

Andrew W. Johns "ResQgeek" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood, Sweat and Tea (Paperback)

Because this book began life as a blog and hasn't been polished for publication in book form, the final product provides an extremely raw glimpse into life as an EMT on the busy streets of London. In turns comic, tragic and infuriating, the experiences described here refelct the reality of providing emergency services in an urban environment. Between the traffic, inadequate resources and regular abuse of the system, it is sometimes amazing that the ambulance services in big cities are able to provide anything close to adequate service. Clearly, the dedicated men and women who provide this service are the key to its success, in spite of the obstacles they face.

I spent about twelve years as an EMT with various ambulance services in the US during my early adult years. While the author's story differs from mine in its details, I had little difficulty identifying with his attitudes and sense of humor. He continues to write in his blog and I look forward to continuing to read about his adventures on the streets of London.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great 'toilet' book, May 2, 2007

By 

Ste Cork - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood, Sweat and Tea (Paperback)

I've never read the original blog that this is apparently from, nor have I ever worked in the emergency services. But if you want a great book that you can pick up and read any amount of, large or small, in a single sitting, without having to remember any plot details or break-off mid chapter then this is the one. A fascinating insite into how stupid / tragic / brave / interesting ordinary people can be, and how the emergency services deal with them. I almost got 'roids through sitting there far too long while reading this - there's always "just one more" anecdote to read before putting it down. Fingers crossed he brings out another, I don't care if it's a cut and paste from some website I've never seen. I hope the ambulance-bosses read it as well, and learn what it's like for the people on the "front line".

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rants and reflections, October 4, 2006

By 

Semioticghost "Semioticghost" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood, Sweat and Tea (Paperback)

Tom Reynold's "Blood, Sweat and Tea" is a collection of annotated blog posts devoted to the lives and lives of a London ambulance service medic, and I enjoyed it. The book also happens to be a good example of how somebody can blog about work, with space to rant and reflect while maintaining confidentiality. I'd want to buy him a beer, not just for his tips about how to blog and remain employed...

I hope that once I blog about clinical training (which I'll have to in order to keep me sane), I'll manage to walk the tightrope as eloquently as Reynolds has done.