Paramedic to the Prince: An American Paramedic's Account of Life Inside the Mysterious World of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [Paperback]

Patrick (Tom) Notestine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2009

A Californian paramedic answers an advertisement for contract work at a military hospital in Saudi Arabia. So his adventure begins. This is a riveting, factual account of his ten years inside a country seldom seen by the outside world. Working on the private medical staff of King Abdullah, no western writer has ever been this close to the "House of Saud". The author takes you on a journey from the desert camps of the Bedouin to the highest echelons of the Saudi royal family. From meetings between King Abdullah and Yasser Arafat to the death of Edi Amin the author documents it all. Themes explored include the contrast of cultures and the rise of terrorism in a post 9/11 world. The author's unique and often humorous perspective provides a view of Saudi society that has never before been documented by any other book in this genre. The author gives an important insight to events that continue to affect the world today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patrick Notestine was born in California. He drifted from job to job after leaving high school, working as a gas station attendant and farm laborer amongst other things. At the age of 23, he took a long hard look at the direction his life was going. At the back of his mind was an interest in science and medicine. Becoming an Emergency Medical Technician seemed a good option, so he enrolled on a course at his local college. Graduating in March 1983, he started working on an ambulance. He attended UCLA School for Pre-hospital Care and graduated as a paramedic in 1986. He found work on primary response ambulances and eventually moved on to helicopter and air medical evacuation. In 1993, the author answered an advertisement to work at a hospital in Saudi Arabia. Working on the private medical staff of King Abdullah, he enjoyed unprecedented access to the "House of Saud". The Middle East is never far from the author's heart. He has recently taken another assignment with a major oil company.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (December 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439245819
• ISBN-13: 978-1439245811
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Saudi Arabia
  • #52 in Books > History > Middle East > Saudi Arabia

More About the Author

PARAMEDIC TO THE PRINCE
Biography

Patrick (Tom) Notestine was born in Yuba City California, Growing up in a rural farm community. Tom drifted from job to job after leaving high school. First working as a gas station attendant, auto mechanic, farm laborer, and meat cutter among other things. He never quite found the right fit.

At the age of 23 he took a long hard look at the direction his life was going. He did not like what he saw. Always in the back of his mind he had a keen interest in science and medicine and a little excitement. Becoming an Emergency Medical Technician seemed to be the best option.

Graduating in March 1983 he began working on a Paramedic ambulance in Sacramento California. Working alongside a seasoned Paramedic, he soon found his calling in life. It was not long after that he left for Los Angles to attend UCLA School for Pre-hospital Care.

Graduating as a Paramedic in 1986, He began working in the San Francisco Bay area. Working on primary 911 response ambulances, then on to Helicopter and fixed wing medical evacuation.

In 1993, He answered an advertisement for work in Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd National Guard Hospital in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. This is where the book begins.

Patrick was later trained in Firefighting and holds certifications from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), in Firefighter One and Two and Fire service Instructor, with a specialty in Industrial Firefighting. Patrick is also a National Registry Paramedic and Instructor for both Basic and Advanced medical skills.

The Middle East is never far from the Authors heart. He has recently taken yet another assignment in the Middle East. He is currently working as the Emergency Medical Coordinator for a major oil company in the Persian Gulf.

Patrick enjoys exploring the desert in his beat up 1985 Range Rover. His hobbies include Scuba Diving, Rock Climbing and Caving.

Authors Message: I consider myself an ordinary Person, who was fortunate enough to be given some extra-ordinary opportunities. I truly believe that you make your own luck, and when life knocks you down, "which is does to all of us" It is getting back up that really matters, not the falling down. I hope whoever reads this book enjoys it as much as I did writing it. I believe everyone has a story to tell.
This just happens to be mine.


All the Best

Patrick Thomas Notestine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book on many levels, October 20, 2008

By 

Bug "-BLG" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Paramedic to the Prince: A paramedic's account of life inside the mysterious world of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Paperback)

This was definitely a hard book to put down. It contained fascinating information on many levels, from what it's like to be a paramedic, to being an American in Saudi Arabia, to life with the Crown Prince (now king), to a glimpse into the lives of the Saudi elite, sexuality, and the corrupting qualities of power and wealth. I particularly liked Notestine's analysis of how Saudi life has been corrupted by oil money and by what can only be described as rampant narcissistic personality disorder (my phrase, not his). From the youngest ages, children are spoiled. Boys are raised by women they're not bound to respect. Enormous unearned wealth, combined with foreign workers who are virtual slaves, results in people with no boundaries, with an innate sense of entitlement and privilege, a feeling of being special and different, to whom the rules of ordinary mortals do not apply. Jobs are handed out based on who you are, your personal connections and influence, rather than what you have achieved through hard work and education, meaning there's little motivation to achieve anything, no sense of responsibility, and contempt for those who do work. Religion, which in some (notably the Crown Prince, who Notestine seems to respect and admire) has the potential to curb immoral or excessive behavior, is in practice seldom used in that fashion, as rampant hypocrisy leads to lives of public morality and private debauchery in clubs and on foreign vacations by Saudi princes. The sexism is simply breathtaking in its pervasive destructiveness and cruelty. It also presents horrifying glimpses into the lives of the foreign guestworkers who do the bulk of the work of the country, and their mistreatment (as seen in the worst case scenario of "Maid Jumping Syndrome"). I would recommend this to anyone interested in Saudi Arabia, or even those interested in Islam or Al Qaeda. It is in this nation that Al Qaeda, and fundamentalist Islam, have their modern roots. The book will definitely offend many, but it's no bitter, propagandistic invective against either Islam or Saudi Arabia, but rather a (relatively) nuanced view of the nation, though of course biased in terms of the experiences Notestine had. As he himself admits, one is bound to get a skewed view when knowing nothing about a country and then working in an emergency room there for two years. Due to Notestine's placement, this is probably one of the most intimate views one can have of what life is like among the ruling elite of Saudi Arabia that is not told by a member of the family.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read - highly recommended, January 29, 2010

By 

Eva Sheppard "Avid Reader" (California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Paramedic to the Prince: An American Paramedic's Account of Life Inside the Mysterious World of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Paperback)

I decided to buy this book after reading the review by Jean Sasson (author of the Princess series). I have read many books about Saudi Arabia, mostly written by western expatriates who spend a year or two there, and then write a book professing to understand a country as unique as it is complex.

This book stands out from the rest. The author is a Californian Paramedic who spent over ten years working at all levels of Saudi Society. Including being on the medical staff of King Abdullah. His passion and commitment to his work comes across, from the blood and carnage of treating Bedouin children in the emergency room, to treating the royal family of the House of Saud.

The book grabs you by the throat from the very first page and never lets you go. It is about so much more than paramedicine. It delves into contrasting social issues and the rise in terrorism, in one of the most fundamentalist Islamic countries in the world.

Amid the serious nature of the book, there are many lighter moments such as the pet Baboon that Notestine bought from the local animal market, which escaped and ended up riding the employee bus to the hospital.

This book is truly a must read for anyone interested in the Middle East or just true life adventure. As a journalist and observer of the human condition I find the author highly perceptive.
A book that should not be missed.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From another paramedic in Saudi Arabia, December 26, 2009

By 

Michael Olson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paramedic to the Prince: An American Paramedic's Account of Life Inside the Mysterious World of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Paperback)

As an American paramedic currently working in Saudi Arabia, I found this book fascinating. It is a real look into an entirely different lifestyle than what we are used to in the US. This book shed light on new subjects for me and allowed me to understand better the way Saudi people think. Life is very different in this part of the world and Nottestine does an outstanding job of letting people get an inside look into that life. Very few Americans ever get to set foot in Saudi Arabia and experience life in the Middle East. I think this book should be a required read for all paramedics, nurses, and doctors from the United States that are coming to Saudi.