Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq

The nightmare never ends for a pediatrician in war. "Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq" delves into the tale of Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Chris Coppola, a war surgeon who with a defiant act of kindness, finds himself in a parade of tragedy from critically injured Iraqi children. Through his works, he gains reputation throughout Iraq as a healer, and here he tells his story of working in harsh conditions for a greater good. "Coppola" is a riveting, and dually depressing and uplifting read, highly recommended.

Dr Coppola has kindly shared his experiences of caring for children caught in a war zone. The difficulties of being away from his own family, having no offical remit to care for local children, and not having the desirable equipment to care for local children are just some of the strains that he discusses. As a paediatric surgeon who has worked away from "civilization" I can empathize! I would recommend this book to all paediatric surgeons and to all surgeons and doctors who get involved in the humanitarian side of disasters.

FANTASTIC! When I began reading this book, I was worried there would be some kind of political slant to it. Would the doctor say he was for the war, or against it? But this book wasn't about that. Dr. Coppola focused on what he set out to write about: His experience as a Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq. It was told with such fluidity, honesty, and rawness, that your own feelings about the war melt away and you are left to face the sacrifices of the children of Iraq. I'm sitting here staring at the computer wondering what I could possibly write about this book to express just how deeply it moved me, and I can't find the words. The topic is on point, the feelings are written from heart and soul, the editing is tight, the cover is perfect. This book has all the markings of a best-seller. It's just another example as to how quickly we make judgements as to what goes on across the world, without thinking about the men and women who are there, putting their lives in jeapardy, to save human beings. Because like Dr. Coppola said, and most importantly did, we are all human beings. Those children didn't ask for any of this. I give thanks to Dr. Coppola for giving us an insider view of what our medical personal deal with and do without judgment. With this book, he is giving us a look into the going-ons in war we rarely get to hear about. This book will be appearing on best-seller lists. It just will.

This is one hell of a good book. It's good as a memoir, as a military memoir, as a personal look at an awful war that perhaps never should have happened - all of those things and more. But mostly it's good because of the writing. The subtitle calls Coppola a pediatric surgeon. Well, he is that certainly, and undoubtedly a very good one too, but as far as this book is concerned, Coppola is, first and foremost, a writer, and a damn good one at that. His Catholic school and Ivy League education are probably at least partially responsible for this, but I prefer to think that there's more to it than that. I think Coppola is just a natural-born storyteller. Because by the end of this book you feel like you've known this guy a long time and that you've sat in a room together and swapped stories from your lives. You know something about his childhood in Massachussetts, his closeness to his brothers and parents and grandparents and how much he loves his wife and three sons. And these aren't even the focus of this book. Coppola's two tours in Iraq are the main focus of this narrative, with an all too brief two year "intermission" at home in San Antonio. You know something about his doubts and innermost fears, mostly about the war itself, but also about his faith and about being a good son, husband and father. I was very moved by Chris's struggle to understand his role in this crappy war he finds himself embroiled in - not once, but twice. He is not a career officer. He is paying back a debt to the Air Force for financing his medical school and education. But he knew before he accepted the deal that he could have financed his training in other ways. He wanted to do something for his country though. He doesn't see himself as a patriot, but he is. He just didn't know it would be so hard, that there would be a war involved. And a STUPID war at that. He struggles constantly with his negative feelings about the war and the lies that got us into it. But in the end he concentrates on helping people, on saving lives. And this is how you know what a decent, caring compassionate human being Chris Coppola is. Here's a very brief sample of the writing that so impressed me - "The landscape of Mesopotamia around us is a cold expanse of hard-packed ground ... Tonight the moon has yet to rise over the Tigris, but we see the evening star wink at us from the eastern horizon. Mars rises high, a luminous yellow-red speck ruling us from afar." Mars the god of war, a star the color of fire. This is just plain good writing. Coppola's is a quiet voice of sanity mired in the midst of madness. A hell of a good book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. - Tim Bazzett, author of the Cold War memoir, SOLDIER BOY: AT PLAY IN THE ASA

An AMAZING book! I have often said that I love a book that makes me think! I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved reading about Dr. Coppola's life changing experiences as a doctor in Iraq. This book reminded me that we ALL love our children and our families no matter who we are or where we live. Dr. Coppola did a fantastic job sharing his experiences. He is a very special person. He did the very best he could do in the ER as well as making the most of the situation as a whole. He did it all with grace and great compassion, not only to the patients, but to the people he was surrounded by. Thank you for sharing this story! I love it! I am sure that his life will never be the same, because I don't know how anyone can really get past these experiences, but sincerely hope that he has learned to grow, love and accept a beautiful life back home. He deserves it! I would love to know what happened to Kasim?! Read this book! You will be very happy that you did! Can't I give it SIX stars?