I hate the cheesy line, I really wanted to love this book, but…

I really wanted to give this book five stars, because it needs so badly to EXIST.
Is it fair to say that I didn’t like it because it’s not like “other” war-surgeon books?
Because it doesn’t delve into medical stories of trauma and surgery and crisis, and because that is something I do look for, as a medical doctor myself?
Does that make me a rubber-necker, gloomy, feeding off despair?

I don’t think that’s it, not entirely.

It’s also that Gaza Medic is largely a stream of consciousness, interspersed by philosophy and axioms on war surgery; with the occasional encounter with Palestinians.

The jumping between tenses doesn’t work. The author explains why he does it, but I still don’t think it works. What is diary, and what is reflection? And where are the dates? (Or is that merely and eARC problem?)

I absolutely find this worth a read, just not a five-star read.

This is a heavy topic, especially since the violence that caused all the trauma in this book is still going on today. But, for anyone who has been watching Israel's war on Gaza , this is a valuable perspective on the war and some of its consequences so far. This is a very readable account of life in a Gaza hospital, as told by a war-surgeon from the UK who was part of one of the international medical aid programs trying to mitigate the damage to Gaza's civilians.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out October 30th. This is an extremely important book, a diary ny a war surgeon, that gives a lot of insight into the things that happened on the ground. To understand the situation in Palestine, you shouldn't just read a single book. But this is a book that adds to the collection of must reads.

"Every day is a mass casualty day." (loc. 1456*)

Villar is an England-based surgeon, but he also has what sounds like extensive experience volunteering in conflict zones. His most recent travels took him to Gaza (not for the first time) in April of 2024 for a two-week stint providing medical care to locals. (See note about politics at the end of this review.)

I read this largely because although I read quite a lot of news (four news apps send me notifications, and chances are good that I've already read the article by the time the notification come through), it has felt difficult to grasp the scope of the situation in Gaza; sometimes it can be helpful to read a deeper dive of one person's experiences and observations. Villar is, for obvious reasons, focused on the medical situation in Gaza, and he points to things that I would not have thought to wonder about. Take some of the things he says about infection:

"Back home in the UK, I work on an infection rate of 0.25 per cent of my patients. Even that small percentage distresses me. After the GMR [Great March of Return, in 2018], an infection rate of 80 per cent was normal." (loc. 127).

And in 2024: "A war surgeon should think infection from the moment they first see a patient and keep thinking infection until it is time for the patient to be discharged. The infection rate at Al Aqsa Hospital was 100 per cent. Every wound was infected – a feature of circumstance." (loc. 929)

"The score used by the IRC for Infection Prevention Control (IPC) allowed a maximum (best) score of 100 per cent. The pass mark was 75 per cent but Al Aqsa Hospital scored 29 per cent. This was far below what it should be, did not surprise me, and went a fair way to explain the hospital's huge infection rate." (loc. 1968)

Elsewhere, Villar describes the unique experience, in modern war surgery, of patients' families coming forward with phones in hand, each showing photos of their injured loved ones and begging for help; he makes estimates of a million or more surgeries needed in Gaza even if the war were to end in April and no more injuries were incurred, because so many injuries need so many surgeries over time.

As a book, it's not great. It's based on Villar's diaries from the time, which means (by the nature of diaries) that it's often repetitious and doesn't always have satisfactory answers. Although some of the numbers Villar mentions are striking, there weren't sources provided, so I'd want to check other sources as well (including for the infection rates mentioned above); moreover, the war has now doubled in length since Villar was in Gaza, meaning that some of the numbers, even assuming they were correct then, are simply outdated. That said, I have my eye on a few more recent and upcoming books about this war, from people of various backgrounds, and I expect there will be many more to come. This was a decent starting point to get a glimpse into an experience that is not mine and that can feel too big to grasp.

A note on politics: Villar notes many times throughout the book that he is a medic, not a politician. "It is important to remain apolitical in warfare,</i> he writes, "and not to be seen to support any side." (loc. 1162) He may have managed that for the two weeks he spent in Gaza, but his personal opnions are very clear in the book. I guessed this going in (I don't expect that many books from volunteers in Gaza who are gung-ho about the Israeli government), but if you *are* gung-ho about the Israeli government (I don't particularly want to get into politics in a review either, but please note the distinction between government and people), this is not going to be the book for you; feel free to politely close this tab and look elsewhere.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

It's really hard to describe a book like this. I wanted to believe that this isn't real, that this isn't happening in today's world, but having the truth laid bare makes that impossible.

I can't begin to imagine the heartache, fatigue, and anger that Richard Villar and his fellow doctors felt seeing all of the senseless violence and trauma currently being thrust upon the people of Gaza. Even more, I can't imagine the heartache the citizens feel. The mothers who have lost their children, the children who have lost their parents, the victims who have lost their limbs, and so on.

I hope that people can read this book and see past the politics to understand that humanity is hurting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book.
It was a really interesting insight into one doctors experience providing medical aid in Gaza.
The author used his daily diary entries to collate an interesting, heartbreaking read.
Despite other negative feedback I feel like the author gave his experiences and account of his first hand view of what continues in this ongoing conflict. whether you agree with one side or another, you cannot deny someone sharing they're own experiences and I think the author did this very well.
It was an emotive read , but this was expected, and I liked how the author chose to share the raw truth rather than dim down the horrors he faced.

This short memoir was an incredible read, very raw and honest about the experiences the author went through and an intriguing and insightful read.

This was probably one of the most biased books i've read on this topic to date - From the start it points out how Israel targeted journalists on purpose, which you can't know that for certain. Language used is IDF are barbaric and I don't think any book should be that biased when you are telling the supposed story of being a medic! Not for me and won't be recommending it.

I found Gaza Medic a deeply moving account of what it's like to work as a medic in Gaza. Villar revealed what it was like to enter a hospital as an orthopaedic surgeon and find a 100% wound infection rate, and the experience of watching a man from World Central Kitchen cross the border into Gaza where he would be dead within the week. However, there are other perspectives, too, such as the magnificent birdsong around the hospital, how local people experiencing famine still observed Ramadan, and the moving poetry of Refaat Alareer. The story will stay with me for a long time and is compelling reading for anyone interested in humanity.

"You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves, your
parents, or your close relatives. Whether the person is rich or poor, God can best take care of both. Refrain from following your own desire, so that you can act justly- if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do."

It is very easy to be a 'keyboard warrior' and spew hatred from the warmth of your sofa and the luxury of a cosy room. It is very easy for politicians to say fancy words to satisfy their inflated egos. Easy to press the triggers to the missiles sitting in the remote rooms. What is not easy and at great personal risk: to be a journalist or a medic or a volunteer or certainly a victim in the war-torn area. Their pen is mightier than the sword, and their observation is more acute than that of 'zinnanah'. We are indebted to their efforts to give peace a chance.

Richard Villar, an orthopaedic surgeon, goes to Gaza ONLY to treat the casualties of the Occupation. Now he is the witness to the truth, and he fulfils the duty. The Book is brilliant and an eye-opener to the gravity of the situation and the extent of destruction. An absolutely remarkable and highly recommended read. My heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Villar and Medical Aid for Palestinians. (www.map.org.uk)

My absolute favourite excerpt from the book:
"The Palestinians, and to me they were stronger than oxen, looked at me with sympathy. "Can't you tell?" they asked, "that is not an explosion. It is a rumbling wall."
"You are the experts," I said, and together we laughed.
"We will tell you when to worry," they continued. "Until then just carry on."
They were right. All I did was watch Palestinians. When they ducked, I did. When they relaxed,so did I. Islam teaches its followers to understand death. Some even welcome it. Mohammad, our Jordanian theatre nurse, put it succinctly by quoting Quran:
"But never will Allah delay a soul when its time has come."
Islam had a point. So I chose to carry on regardless, unflinching, and trusted today would not be the day. Yet if it was, so be it."

This book is told from Richards time as a medic at Al Aqsa hospital in Gaza.. It is just heartbreaking, reading a first hand account of what is happening on the front line of an ongoing war. It brought tears to my eyes when reading it. It will make you cry and very angry at what is going on. I would encourage everyone to read this book.