Customer Reviews

Made a Difference for That One: A Surgeon's Letters Home from Iraq

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3 star:		(1)
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In the age of email and instant messaging, it is rare to find a lengthy, well-constructed letter. This book is a collection of such letters in which the reader can see the author's thoughts and emotional responses to the events of the Iraq war he is experiencing. He takes on the grim scenes of the war wounded seriously, but takes every chance to inject a sense of humor into the absurdities of military life. It is a quick little read, but a pure stream of honesty from one man coping with the unexpected in war. Highly recommended.

Seems a little too well-written for emails, but a very personnel account of a surgeon in a field hospital in Iraq. Depictions of life on the base and compassionate account of his cases. Would have liked a little more in depth account of his relatiionships with others he encountered there.

It's no wonder this book won the 2006 EPPIE for best nonfiction e-book of the year! Chris wrote informative and touching accounts of his time in Iraq and his wife, Meredith, has compiled them into a cohesive and compelling book. Although his specialty is pediatric surgery, Chris was called upon to perform all kinds of medical procedures during his time in the war. However the most moving stories in the book are those about using his special skills to help the children of Iraq. Getting to know this remarkable man is a worthwhile and inspiring experience. Thanks to both of them for sharing it with the rest of us.

Having deployed along with Chris, I laughed and cried with his remembrances which so mirrored my own. He writes well, with detailed and candid descriptions that both show the reader what life was like, and tell the reader how different he wishes things could be. His enthusiasm for life, for service, and for the care of his patients are an inspiration and this book is part of 'current events' as well as soon-to-be history. I am glad that his wife was able to compile and publish his letters, to share with others his experiences and thoughts.

This book is made up of letters from an Air Force surgeon home to his family and friends. Dr. Coppola writes about everything about life on a base in Iraq, from the food to the comraderie to the bathrooms! Of course, he also writes very movingly about the many patients treated by his team, those that survived as well as the ones who didn't make it home. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the war and/or medicine. A truly fascinating memoir!

There is a fading support for the situation in Iraq. The newspapers are filled with a running count of how many soldiers were killed today and in total. As of now it's about 2,000, just about how many Americans are killed every two weeks on the highways. But that's not news.

It's nice to see books like this come along once in a while. Dr. Coppola, pediatric surgeon was in Iraq working on Iraqi children. The title of the book says a lot, he made a difference for that one. That one baby, perhaps a casualty of the fighting, more likely a normally sick child, that one baby he could do something about. If you can read this book without a tear in your eye. And without feeling that we are indeed doing some good over there I will be surprised.

It's too bad that books like this one which show the good side of a man, and of America will not get the readership, will not get the reviews in the New York Times that would make it a best seller.

Dr. Coppola is a remarkable person and he did indeed do a thourough job of describing life at Camp Anaconda. I especially enjoyed the stories of the children that the doctors at Balad were able to help. I'm a medical professional and I expected more technical accounts of care given and medical procedures, but the book is composed of emails sent to laypersons stateside, so the laymans terms and cursory descriptions were appropriate for that audience. I was also very surprised at the liberal slant of the book....Dr. Coppola admittedly opposes the war in Iraq. I find it hard to reconcile his opposition to the war with his accounts of the many ways that our troops have made life better for the Iraqi citizens and the stories of profuse thanks being extended by Iraqi nationals who visited Balad. Having just read about Bataan and the sacrifices made by Allied Troops there, I find it frustrating that Dr. Coppola feels that the cost of the liberation of Iraq is too high. The loss of any US personnel is tragic, but this is a war and it is worth fighting and Dr. Coppola's letters are great illustrations of the good the US troops are doing in Iraq. The US casualties in Iraq are tragic, but the sacrifices are not in vain. It is unfortunate that Dr. Coppola feels that the price for bringing a better life to Iraq is excessive. Our grandfather's generation knew, but we have forgotten, that nothing worthwhile comes without a price.

Dr. Coppola's descriptions of life at Camp Anaconda are panoramic and give a good taste of what life is like there, but his writing is choppy and disjointed at times.

If you are expecting a compilation of extensive but not exceptional emails, then you will appreciate this book tremendously. If you are expecting hard details of the medical side of life for a combat surgeon or literary genius, you will be disappointed.

Overall, I'd say this is a good (not stellar) read.

a pleasure to read and even more importantly, dr. christopher coppola is a pleasure to know.