Chris Coppola

In 2005, Air Force reservist and pediatric surgeon Chris Coppola was deployed to Iraq to serve in a hospital treating injured troops. Soon after arrival, however, “mission creep” turned the hospital into a place for treating injured civilians as well, including children. Before long, Dr. Coppola is known as the man who will help Iraqi children, even if their illnesses have nothing to do with the war. As a memoir, this reads like a journal, not a polished literary effort. Nevertheless, it has merit for what it provides of the “on-the-ground” view of the war in Iraq. Coppola is not decidedly for or against the war, so he provides a balanced and fair look at the events he sees. The personal photographs and illustrations included throughout the book are a nice added touch. Do be warned however, this book is not for the squeamish when it comes to talking about medical procedures and emergency trauma. Also be aware that there is a lot of military jargon used throughout, which may be off-putting to some, although I found that Coppola mostly made a point to define military speak into civilian language.… (more)