Emily Mayhew Knihy

The first authoritative investigation and analysis of a remarkable wartime phenomenon.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME BOOK PRIZE Wounded is the story of a journey: from injury on the battlefield to recovery in Britain. It is the story of the soldiers themselves, from the aid post in the trenches to the casualty clearing station in the rear, from the base hospital to the ambulance train returning them to Blighty.

Focusing on the Guinea Pig Club, the narrative highlights the courageous airmen who endured severe burns from airplane fires and participated in groundbreaking experimental surgeries. Their experiences not only shaped their own recoveries but also contributed significantly to the development of reconstructive surgery techniques following World War II. The book delves into the extraordinary individuals and pivotal events that drove this medical evolution.

The Four Horsemen - War, Pestilence, Famine and Death - first appeared in the Book of Revelations a thousand years ago, but they continue to track us in our own time. This original and inspiring study by celebrated historian Emily Mayhew traces the advances in science, technology and humanitarianism that are enabling us to take them on, one by one. It begins in Mosul, our oldest surviving city, and the extraordinary coalition created in a matter of days to save its people from the worst horrors of the liberation battle against ISIS. As the city and the humanitarian operation that helped it to survive are restructured for a new age, Mayhew shows other people whose work gives us hope for the future, from the search to find new ways to discover and use antimicrobial medicines and the innovations in preventing the spread of deadly viruses; the laboratory work being taken to protect crops from disease and reduce famine, and why the potato, not the banana is the future; to the unique courage and resolution of those dedicated to securing the rights of the dead and their families. Standing in the way of the Horsemen is what Emily Mayhew calls, 'the most extraordinary alliance ever to come together in defence of our humanity.' These are the doctors, scientists, statisticians, engineers, peace negotiators, pharmacists, historians, forensic scientists, vaccinators and volunteers who are creating solutions to life and death problems which threaten us all. They are the new heroes of our age and this book is about them. Review The most gripping non-fiction book I have read in a very long time -- Mark Haddon, on A Heavy Reckoning A Fascinating book ― The Times, on Wounded An engaging piece of research, history and recollection ― The Economist, on The Guinea Pig Club [A] thoughtful and ultimately uplifting analysis of the unsung heroes of our age ― Independent Mayhew's book is rich in explanation and background detail ...Although this is a scary book, it is also one full of hope ― Independent The beauty of The Four Horsemen is how she takes her quaking readers to the edge of the abyss, encouraging them to peek into the darkness below, then gently pulls them back, explaining how the worst can be averted, by dint of carefully accumulated wisdom, generosity of spirit, hard work and sheer ingenuity . . . I was left moved and uplifted . . . [I]n this first-class example of popular science Mayhew demonstrates that's also where salvation lies. ― The Times About the Author Dr Emily Mayhew is historian in residence in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London. She is the author of the Wounded trilogy: A Heavy Reckoning, The Reconstruction of Warriors, and Wounded: from Battlefield to Blighty which was shortlisted for the Wellcome Prize in 2014. She is Imperial College Internal Lead on the Paediatric Blast Injury Partnership, and co-edited The Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual

What happens when you reach the threshold of life and death - and come back? As long as humans have lived on the planet, there have been wars, and injured soldiers and civilians. But today, as we engage in wars with increasingly sophisticated technology, we are able to bring people back from ever closer encounters with death. Historian Emily Mayhew explores the reality of medicine and injury in wartime, from the trenches of World War One to the plains of Afghanistan and the rehabilitation wards of Headley Court in Surrey. Mixing vivid and compelling stories of unexpected survival with astonishing insights from the front line of medicine, A Heavy Reckoning is a book about how far we have come in saving, healing and restoring the human body. From the plastic surgeon battling to restore function to a blasted hand to the double amputee learning to walk again on prosthetic legs, Mayhew gives us a new understanding of the limits of human life and the extraordinary costs paid physically and mentally by casualties all over the world.