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The Physician (The Cole Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Noah Gordon
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (325 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Read by millions in thirty-two countries, soon to be a major motion picture, and voted “one of the ten most-beloved books of all time,” here is the first English-language digital edition of Noah Gordon’s masterwork
In eleventh-century London, a child holds the hand of his dying mother and is terrified, aware something is taking her. Orphaned and given to an itinerant barber-surgeon, Rob Cole becomes a fast-talking swindler, peddling a worthless medicine. But as he matures, his strange gift—an acute sensitivity to impending death—never leaves him, and he yearns to become a healer.
Arab madrassas are the only authentic medical schools, and he makes his perilous way to Persia. Christians are barred from Muslim schools, but claiming he is a Jew, he studies under the world’s most renowned physician, Avicenna. How the woman who is his great love struggles against her only rival—medicine—makes a riveting modern classic.
The Physician is the first book in Noah Gordon’s Dr. Robert Cole trilogy, which continues with Shaman and concludes with Matters of Choice.


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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When nine-year-old Rob Cole felt the life force slipping from his mother's hand he could not foresee that this terrifying awareness of impending death was a gift that would lead him from the familiar life of 11th-century London to small villages throughout England and finally to the medical school at Ispahan. Though apprenticed to an itinerant barber surgeon, it is the dazzling surgery of a Jewish physician trained by the legendary Persian physician Avicenna that inspires him to accept his gift and to commit his life to healing by studying at Avicenna's school. Despite the ban on Christian students, Rob goes there, disguising himself as a Jew to gain admission. Gordon has written an adventurous and inspiring tale of a quest for medical knowledge pursued in a violent world full of superstition and prejudice. Recommended. Literary Guild alternate. Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"An adventurous and inspiring tale of a quest for medical knowledge pursued in a violent world full of superstition and prejudice. Recommended."  —Library Journal

Product Details

  • File Size: 960 KB
  • Print Length: 768 pages
  • Publisher: Barcelona eBooks (June 5, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00840CY8Y
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Enabled
  • Lending: Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,850 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
140 of 146 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This engrossing book traces the life of 11th century Englishman, Robert Cole. Cole begins as a normal child, is quickly orphaned, and is then apprenticed to a barber-surgeon. As he travels throughout England with his master, the reader is introduced to all aspects of English peasant life. Family life, morality, religion, sexuality, medicine, xenophobia and history are all presented in an interesting, subtle, and easily read writing style. When Cole grows up and decides to be a physician, he comes in contact with Jewish doctors who explain to him that the best universities are in Moslem-ruled Persia, where no Christian may go. Determined to learn, Cole overcomes this obstacle by pretending to be a Jew. As he travels and studies in Persia, the same questions of lifestyle are addressed, only this time within the Jewish and Moslem communities. This is a great read for anyone who likes adventurous stories about growing up, or who is interested in sociology, religion, medicine, or history.
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67 of 68 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Page-Turning Adventure Yarn March 28, 2006
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I simply had to add my own "thumbs up" to the many other readers who thoroughly enjoyed this book. I confess to having been a bit daunted at the outset by the sheer size of the volume, but it started off quickly and kept up the pace throughout. Granted, some of the episodes strain credulity, but the writing is so captivating that I had no problem suspending disbelief in order to ride the waves of excitement and action. This is truly a tale of the fantastical Persia of old - who cares if every historical detail is not precise. It is the tone and flavor of the characters, the travels and the early medical lore that kept me reading long past eyestrain. I was particularly interested in the juxtaposition of three major religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam - and the parallels between each one's belief system (each with its own codification of "divine laws"), their mutual intolerance, and their strict adherence to their own doctrines with resultant rejection and vilification of all others. I appreciated Rob's comment that it is not the "word of God" to which he objects, but the human interpretation of that word in the mouths and minds of men which leads to the persecution, suspicion and hatred he witnesses and experiences. That, to my mind, is a very current and topical message - true in the 1000's as well as in the 2000's. A great message without pedantry. I learned a lot, laughed a lot, cried some, but couldn't put this one down.
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63 of 65 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!!! November 18, 2001
Format:Paperback
I read this book 13 years ago and it still ranks with me as one of the best books I have ever read. You will feel as if you are in the locals as this book travels across continents. I found myself reading this book when ever I could find time. This would make a great motion picture.
Enjoy!! You will not be disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A true epic journey
It was the longest book I ever read, but a real page turner. The story line took me across continents in a time when travel was almost impossible for the average person. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Blue Jag Momma
4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyed
Recommended by a book club friend, this was a an intriguing, exciting, and occasionally humorous book, despite having been published quite few years ago. Read more
Published 1 day ago by 3dogmom
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, a Rare Treat
Really exciting, interesting, and full of information about things I had little knowledge of. I recommend this book to all who like a good "I can't put it down book. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Fay J.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Physician
Magnificent! I'm in awe of the brilliant mind that authored a literary treasure such as this. Rob J. will live in my heart forever. Read more
Published 3 days ago by josie
5.0 out of 5 stars Good 11th century historical perspective
Well researched. Insight to to the 11th century history and human evolution. This is the time period which is difficult to explore historically.
Published 4 days ago by Rana Ahmad
4.0 out of 5 stars The Physician
I liked it and learned a lot but it was much too long for my taste. Everything could have been said with a lot fewer words.
Published 9 days ago by betty richards
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction at its Best
As a life-long lover of historical fiction, I heartily endorse this book. At over 700 pages, this novel will keep the reader entranced in this page-turner of a story. Read more
Published 9 days ago by kone
5.0 out of 5 stars Best fiction read!
Love a book that captures my imagination, gives me a perspective on history and cultures. This book has it all!
Published 9 days ago by Diane M. Ruebling
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
One of the best books I have ever read. I loved Pillars of the Earth and The Physician is written with equal talent. A fascinating story.
Published 10 days ago by Leah Biegler
5.0 out of 5 stars A very entertaing history lesson
Sometime you wonder how we survived all the medical problems of the human species when so little was known about how the body worked. Read more
Published 10 days ago by MALINDA
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