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The Trauma Chronicles

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About this listen

'Never, never, never give in', Winston Churchill's famous quotation, best sums up the life of Stephen Westaby, the world-leading cardiothoracic surgeon. This audiobook chronicles the triumphs and failures of his surgical life, the lives saved and extended, the innovations (such as artificial hearts) he developed and his research discoveries.

Having spent his childhood in the backstreets of a northern steel town, he went on to become one of the world's foremost heart surgeons. His drive for perfection in his profession took him to the world-renowned Harefield Hospital, the foremost heart surgery centre in Birmingham, Alabama and the newly-created Cardiothoracic Centre in Oxford.

Then in 2019 in Wuhan he was the first Western doctor to learn about Covid-19 before the virus was identified.

©2023 Stephen Westaby (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing Medical Medicine & Health Care Industry Professionals & Academics Surgery Heartfelt Medicine

Critic reviews

"The stakes could not be higher in this bloody, muscular and adrenaline-charged memoir from a pioneering heart surgeon...at points it made my own heart race dangerously. 'Surgeons are meant to be objective,' Westaby tells himself, 'not human'. What makes this book so fascinating, and so moving, is the terrible tension between these necessary qualities." (The Sunday Times)

"Westaby is everything you would hope from a maverick surgical genius: authoritative, engaged, passionate and opinionated. His book, annoyingly well written for someone who has penned only medical papers and handbooks, reads like a thriller, except with rather more corpses. You race to each chapter's end to see if his certain-to-die patient survives." (The Times)
All stars
Most relevant
I’m So glad I found this book, I didn’t know he’d written another one . Fascinating, inspiring and captivating read. Thank you for your service Mr Westaby :)

He’s written a belter again!

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This is a truly remarkable listen. Painfully honest and self reflective at times, the author places of in the front seat of his life as he reflects on his career and various detours in his personal life. As a teacher with no connection to surgery in any way, I found this fascinating. Clearly not only a fantastic surgeon, a great author too.

Fantastic, honest read. Did not want this to end

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Love all books by Stephen Westaby and this is no exception! Great narration again by Gordon Griffin!

Always a great listen

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Me Westaby’s first books were two of my favourite books to date - an excellent insight into the development of modern surgery through the lens of an honest, objective and genuinely kind surgeon. Much along the lines of Henry Marsh’s books.

This book however feels like a continuous moan about modern healthcare with the odd, ill-fitting patient story thrown in.

Confident judgements on trauma and prehospital care based on anecdote and cherry picking of data, disdain for medical TV programmes and their disregard of patient confidentiality and a condescending attitude to the inclusivity and focus on mental well-being of the current NHS. Uncomfortably hypocritical from the surgeon who reflected on his appearance on BBCs ‘Your Life in their Hands’ as one of the best parts of his career and seemingly takes pride in having ruined many marriages and relationships and spent little time with his family, prioritising surgery over them.

While no doubt a gifted surgeon who has made countless positive contributions to the world of surgery and medicine, Mr Westaby seems to forget he is not the only intelligent person in healthcare.

Disappointing

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While I enjoyed only small parts of this book I just couldn’t get past how unbelievably arrogant this man is!!! Yes, being a doctor is amazing but my goodness this book is mostly about his many, many, many conquests! I honestly don’t know why though?! Also the way he spoke to younger or less experienced staff was just awful. He honestly seemed more interested in eyeing up and chatting up all the nurses and fellow doctors. I felt quite repulsed by him if I’m honest?! Wouldn’t recommend this book.

Horribly arrogant.

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