What do you think?
Rate this book
Walking Free
In 1999, Munjed Al Muderis was a young surgical resident working in Baghdad when a squad of Military Police marched into the operating theatre and ordered the surgical team to mutilate the ears of three busloads of army deserters. When the head of surgery refused, he was executed in front of his staff. Munjed's choices were stark-comply and breach the medical oath 'do no harm', refuse and face certain death, or flee.
That day, Munjed's life changed forever. He escaped to Indonesia, where he boarded a filthy, overcrowded refugee boat, bound for Australia.
Like his fellow passengers, he hoped for a new life, free from fear and oppression, but for ten months he was incarcerated in what became known as the worst of the refugee camps, Curtin Detention Centre in Western Australia. There he was known only by a number, locked in solitary confinement and repeatedly told to go back to Iraq.
On 26 August 2000, Munjed was finally freed. Now, fourteen years later, he is one of the world's leading osseointegration surgeons, transforming the lives of amputees with a pioneering technique that allows them to walk again.
Walking Free is Munjed's extraordinary account of his journey from the brutality of Saddam Hussein's Iraq to a new life in Australia and a remarkable career at the forefront of medicine.
That day, Munjed's life changed forever. He escaped to Indonesia, where he boarded a filthy, overcrowded refugee boat, bound for Australia.
Like his fellow passengers, he hoped for a new life, free from fear and oppression, but for ten months he was incarcerated in what became known as the worst of the refugee camps, Curtin Detention Centre in Western Australia. There he was known only by a number, locked in solitary confinement and repeatedly told to go back to Iraq.
On 26 August 2000, Munjed was finally freed. Now, fourteen years later, he is one of the world's leading osseointegration surgeons, transforming the lives of amputees with a pioneering technique that allows them to walk again.
Walking Free is Munjed's extraordinary account of his journey from the brutality of Saddam Hussein's Iraq to a new life in Australia and a remarkable career at the forefront of medicine.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2014
59 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
About the author
Munjed Al Muderis
2 books30 followersAssociate Professor Munjed Al Muderis is a world leading osseointegration surgeon and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame Australia in Sydney.
He practises as an orthopaedic surgeon at the Norwest Private Hospital, the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital and the Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney's northern suburbs. He lives in Sydney with his wife Irina, who's a GP, and their daughter Sophia.
He practises as an orthopaedic surgeon at the Norwest Private Hospital, the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital and the Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney's northern suburbs. He lives in Sydney with his wife Irina, who's a GP, and their daughter Sophia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
October 19, 2015
I finished reading this book this afternoon and haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I'm quite a conservative, fairly right wing Aussie but I also demand facts and the complete silence & media ban (& now the ban on even speaking of the conditions of asylum seekers) made me confront the uncomfortable question - does the country that I love so much have concentration camps? I admit I've wondered for a while and probably didn't want to know. I wanted to proudly tell the world how perfect Australia is but we are not.
That question led me in search of books from individuals who have experienced these detention centres (in this case on shore- they have since been moved offshore) and I read Munjed's story, only putting it down when I had to go to work. It's an almost unbelievable tale of survival, a reminder that life under Saddam Hussein was not peaceful nor stable and it pulls back the curtain on how Australia treated, and I assume, still treats asylum seekers. I trust Munjed's account. He has photographs to back up his account, he is largely secular and highly intelligent, able to give us insight into the other asylum seekers (both good and bad) as well as the guards and government officials.
One of the first things that appauled me about the country that I love so much is that detainees were referred to by a number, never a name- a tactic used by many a totalitarian regime to dehumanise people and in this instance it worked. How bad must things be that going to prison alongside murderers and pedophiles is paradise compared to the Curtain Detention Centre? No wonder the media was banned from reporting on/visiting/photographing these facilities. They are appauling. I used to watch a TV series (Young Lions) and an episode was banned by the government because it featured just a fictionalised account of a detention centre. I knew then that things must be bad if the government was clamping down this way . I just don't think I was ready to confront it.
You'll learn that not only were people referred to only by a number but children were left in the camp with no education and exposed to abuse from other detainees, the heat, rain, snakes etc had everyone so on edge its no wonder fights broke out and Munjed was told constantly to go back to Iraq (where he would be certainly tortured & killed) & that Australians don't want him here.
Frankly it's a miracle that he remained a good person and that he never lost his ambition to continue practicing medicine and now he restores literally the lives and limbs of Australians. He is an asset to this country and we are very lucky to have him.
Very importantly, he discusses how Australia needs to change its attitudes to refugees. Not all people are like Munjed. Many are uneducated and are driven to the ghettos and the fringes of society. They play right into the hands of extremists who welcome them with open arms when we do not. He makes excellent recommendations on how we can address this. I only hope that enough people in power pay attention. Even if they do not, we all can play a small part in welcoming refugees when they move into in our local communities. They have suffered enough. Let's make it stop with us.
That question led me in search of books from individuals who have experienced these detention centres (in this case on shore- they have since been moved offshore) and I read Munjed's story, only putting it down when I had to go to work. It's an almost unbelievable tale of survival, a reminder that life under Saddam Hussein was not peaceful nor stable and it pulls back the curtain on how Australia treated, and I assume, still treats asylum seekers. I trust Munjed's account. He has photographs to back up his account, he is largely secular and highly intelligent, able to give us insight into the other asylum seekers (both good and bad) as well as the guards and government officials.
One of the first things that appauled me about the country that I love so much is that detainees were referred to by a number, never a name- a tactic used by many a totalitarian regime to dehumanise people and in this instance it worked. How bad must things be that going to prison alongside murderers and pedophiles is paradise compared to the Curtain Detention Centre? No wonder the media was banned from reporting on/visiting/photographing these facilities. They are appauling. I used to watch a TV series (Young Lions) and an episode was banned by the government because it featured just a fictionalised account of a detention centre. I knew then that things must be bad if the government was clamping down this way . I just don't think I was ready to confront it.
You'll learn that not only were people referred to only by a number but children were left in the camp with no education and exposed to abuse from other detainees, the heat, rain, snakes etc had everyone so on edge its no wonder fights broke out and Munjed was told constantly to go back to Iraq (where he would be certainly tortured & killed) & that Australians don't want him here.
Frankly it's a miracle that he remained a good person and that he never lost his ambition to continue practicing medicine and now he restores literally the lives and limbs of Australians. He is an asset to this country and we are very lucky to have him.
Very importantly, he discusses how Australia needs to change its attitudes to refugees. Not all people are like Munjed. Many are uneducated and are driven to the ghettos and the fringes of society. They play right into the hands of extremists who welcome them with open arms when we do not. He makes excellent recommendations on how we can address this. I only hope that enough people in power pay attention. Even if they do not, we all can play a small part in welcoming refugees when they move into in our local communities. They have suffered enough. Let's make it stop with us.
January 20, 2016
Walking Free is an extraordinary memoir: if someone rewrote it as a novel, readers would say it was unrealistic. Yet this story is true…
Munjed Al Muderis was born into a privileged family in Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein. He survived its wars with Iran and Kuwait, and the First Gulf War, and despite disruptions to his education managed to graduate as a doctor. He got married, and had a child, and lived what passed for a normal life in Saddam’s Iraq…
Until the fateful day that changed his life forever. He was working as a junior surgeon at the Saddam Hussein Medical Centre in Baghdad when busloads of army deserters were hauled into the hospital by a team of heavily armed soldiers. To their horror, the surgeons were ordered to amputate the tops of the deserters’ ears, by order of Saddam Hussein.
Then I saw three burly officers striding along the corridor towards the operating theatre. They were menacingly huge, heavily armed and dressed in full camouflage uniform with combat boots – the most finely honed instruments of Saddam’s brutality. As they approached they were giving orders to staff to immediately begin the surgery. The most senior doctor in the operating theatre refused their instructions. He told the officers he had taken a solemn oath to do no harm to his patients. Straight away he was marched to the hospital car park, briefly interrogated and then shot in front of a number of medical staff. The military thugs then came back to the operating theatre and bluntly told us, ‘If anyone shares his view, step forward. Otherwise carry on.’ (p.134)
Muderis shared the view of this brave senior doctor, but he didn’t want to die. He slipped out of the theatre unobserved, hid in the women’s toilets for five hours, and then fled.
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2014/11/15/wa...
Munjed Al Muderis was born into a privileged family in Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein. He survived its wars with Iran and Kuwait, and the First Gulf War, and despite disruptions to his education managed to graduate as a doctor. He got married, and had a child, and lived what passed for a normal life in Saddam’s Iraq…
Until the fateful day that changed his life forever. He was working as a junior surgeon at the Saddam Hussein Medical Centre in Baghdad when busloads of army deserters were hauled into the hospital by a team of heavily armed soldiers. To their horror, the surgeons were ordered to amputate the tops of the deserters’ ears, by order of Saddam Hussein.
Then I saw three burly officers striding along the corridor towards the operating theatre. They were menacingly huge, heavily armed and dressed in full camouflage uniform with combat boots – the most finely honed instruments of Saddam’s brutality. As they approached they were giving orders to staff to immediately begin the surgery. The most senior doctor in the operating theatre refused their instructions. He told the officers he had taken a solemn oath to do no harm to his patients. Straight away he was marched to the hospital car park, briefly interrogated and then shot in front of a number of medical staff. The military thugs then came back to the operating theatre and bluntly told us, ‘If anyone shares his view, step forward. Otherwise carry on.’ (p.134)
Muderis shared the view of this brave senior doctor, but he didn’t want to die. He slipped out of the theatre unobserved, hid in the women’s toilets for five hours, and then fled.
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2014/11/15/wa...
February 4, 2015
https://setinmotion1.wordpress.com/20...
Walking Free tells the incredible story of Iraqi-born surgeon, Munjed Al Muderis – a man who faced terrible odds and circumstances to become one of the world’s leading osseointegration surgeons. Set during the time when Iraq is first invaded, Muderis is training to become a surgeon when he faces a terrible choice – a squad of Military Police (the bad guys) arrive at his hospital and demand that he and his team perform surgery and remove the ears on a group of army deserters. Out of three options – main, be killed or flee – Muderis chooses to flee, leading him to a long, dangerous journey that takes him to Australia. However, when Muderis finally makes it to Australia he faces another challenge – the anguishes of Australia’s refugee camps.
Quite frankly, Muderis’s story is amazing. Bone-chilling and harrowing at times, frustrating at others, the circumstances that Murderis survives are simply astounding – and that’s without taking in the courage and fortitude that Muderis has throughout.
As I stated in the opening paragraph of this review, I’m interested in war history, particularly if it’s from an unusual perspective. In this regard, Walking Free ticked the boxes. Here is an incredible narrator who defied all odds to become a leader in his field, and one who can show us into the lives of those that we so rarely have the chance to hear from. Amazing stuff, yes. But still, despite all this, I had two big problems with Walking Free that stopped it from being a fantastic read.
Firstly, the problem I’ve found with war memoirs is if they aren’t written well, or more importantly, if they aren’t written by the narrator, then they quickly lose steam. When they’ve been filtered through from narrator to writer, as is the case with Walking Free, the emotions, nuances and, most importantly, the voice gets lost amongst all the facts. Instead of the cadences, feelings and little pieces of mise en scene we’re left with facts devoid of spirit – a weird irony considering the subject matter. As any good author or editor will tell you, a great book is all about showing rather than telling the reader what is occurring, and this is something that seems to fall by the wayside in Walking Free. As a reader I’m not given the opportunity to discover things for myself, to imagine places, atmosphere or emotions – instead I’m being directed, forcibly, through event after event.
Secondly, one aspect of Muderis’s life that I was fascinated by was his work as an osseointegration surgeon – or, in layman’s terms, Muderis creates robotic arms and legs and attaches them to amputees. Seriously, can you think of a more impressive job? Yet Muderis’s work in this field is pushed right up until the final chapter, as though this aspect of his life isn’t important.
Walking Free is an incredible story and Munjed Al Muderis is clearly a courageous man, but even this wasn’t enough to keep me hooked. Some people may very well love this memoir, but for those who need more than just facts to get them through a book, then I’d give this one a miss.
Walking Free tells the incredible story of Iraqi-born surgeon, Munjed Al Muderis – a man who faced terrible odds and circumstances to become one of the world’s leading osseointegration surgeons. Set during the time when Iraq is first invaded, Muderis is training to become a surgeon when he faces a terrible choice – a squad of Military Police (the bad guys) arrive at his hospital and demand that he and his team perform surgery and remove the ears on a group of army deserters. Out of three options – main, be killed or flee – Muderis chooses to flee, leading him to a long, dangerous journey that takes him to Australia. However, when Muderis finally makes it to Australia he faces another challenge – the anguishes of Australia’s refugee camps.
Quite frankly, Muderis’s story is amazing. Bone-chilling and harrowing at times, frustrating at others, the circumstances that Murderis survives are simply astounding – and that’s without taking in the courage and fortitude that Muderis has throughout.
As I stated in the opening paragraph of this review, I’m interested in war history, particularly if it’s from an unusual perspective. In this regard, Walking Free ticked the boxes. Here is an incredible narrator who defied all odds to become a leader in his field, and one who can show us into the lives of those that we so rarely have the chance to hear from. Amazing stuff, yes. But still, despite all this, I had two big problems with Walking Free that stopped it from being a fantastic read.
Firstly, the problem I’ve found with war memoirs is if they aren’t written well, or more importantly, if they aren’t written by the narrator, then they quickly lose steam. When they’ve been filtered through from narrator to writer, as is the case with Walking Free, the emotions, nuances and, most importantly, the voice gets lost amongst all the facts. Instead of the cadences, feelings and little pieces of mise en scene we’re left with facts devoid of spirit – a weird irony considering the subject matter. As any good author or editor will tell you, a great book is all about showing rather than telling the reader what is occurring, and this is something that seems to fall by the wayside in Walking Free. As a reader I’m not given the opportunity to discover things for myself, to imagine places, atmosphere or emotions – instead I’m being directed, forcibly, through event after event.
Secondly, one aspect of Muderis’s life that I was fascinated by was his work as an osseointegration surgeon – or, in layman’s terms, Muderis creates robotic arms and legs and attaches them to amputees. Seriously, can you think of a more impressive job? Yet Muderis’s work in this field is pushed right up until the final chapter, as though this aspect of his life isn’t important.
Walking Free is an incredible story and Munjed Al Muderis is clearly a courageous man, but even this wasn’t enough to keep me hooked. Some people may very well love this memoir, but for those who need more than just facts to get them through a book, then I’d give this one a miss.
March 23, 2016
What an amazing story of survival, resilience & giving back to the world with no bitterness or anger!
Munjed Al Muderis fled Iraq in the late 1990's. At the time the country was under embargo & food was rationed, water, electricity & petrol was in short supply. But when Munjed, a Surgeon, was ordered by soldiers of Sadaam's to amputate the ears of military deserters, he realised that he had no choice but to run. To refuse meant instant execution.
Thus started a journey for this educated man from an upper class family..... Munjed became a "boat person", a refugee in Australia.
Walking Free focuses mainly on Munjed's torrid escape from Iraq & his 10 month experience of life within the Detention Centre in Curtin, Western Australia. This was well before the Australian people were speaking out against conditions in Detention Centres, probably before we were aware.
Munjed, & hundreds more, lived in squalid circumstances, known only by a number, his was 982. Poor food, even worse toilet & shower conditions, hours of boredom.
It wasn't until almost a year to the day that he'd left Iraq that Munjed finally obtained his Immigration papers & was free to live in Australia.
Munjed dedicatedly studied & worked to become an Orthopaedic Surgeon & went a whole lot further, becoming a pioneering osseointegration surgeon, working with his specialised teams to transform the lives of amputees.
Walking Free was certainly an eye-opener for me. The conditions for those living in war torn Iraq in the 1990's and the treatment of the detainees was something of which I was unaware, I'm ashamed to admit. The majority of the book focuses on this part of Munjed's experience.
I would have loved to have read more about his work in osseointegration & the lives he changed in more depth. This amazingly compassionate man just wanted to make other people's lives better, throughout his whole life, not just as a surgeon.
This is easily a book to recommend. A fascinating man with an extraordinary story from which we can all learn.
Munjed Al Muderis fled Iraq in the late 1990's. At the time the country was under embargo & food was rationed, water, electricity & petrol was in short supply. But when Munjed, a Surgeon, was ordered by soldiers of Sadaam's to amputate the ears of military deserters, he realised that he had no choice but to run. To refuse meant instant execution.
Thus started a journey for this educated man from an upper class family..... Munjed became a "boat person", a refugee in Australia.
Walking Free focuses mainly on Munjed's torrid escape from Iraq & his 10 month experience of life within the Detention Centre in Curtin, Western Australia. This was well before the Australian people were speaking out against conditions in Detention Centres, probably before we were aware.
Munjed, & hundreds more, lived in squalid circumstances, known only by a number, his was 982. Poor food, even worse toilet & shower conditions, hours of boredom.
It wasn't until almost a year to the day that he'd left Iraq that Munjed finally obtained his Immigration papers & was free to live in Australia.
Munjed dedicatedly studied & worked to become an Orthopaedic Surgeon & went a whole lot further, becoming a pioneering osseointegration surgeon, working with his specialised teams to transform the lives of amputees.
Walking Free was certainly an eye-opener for me. The conditions for those living in war torn Iraq in the 1990's and the treatment of the detainees was something of which I was unaware, I'm ashamed to admit. The majority of the book focuses on this part of Munjed's experience.
I would have loved to have read more about his work in osseointegration & the lives he changed in more depth. This amazingly compassionate man just wanted to make other people's lives better, throughout his whole life, not just as a surgeon.
This is easily a book to recommend. A fascinating man with an extraordinary story from which we can all learn.
April 1, 2015
The real story of an Iraqi refugee around the time of the Sydney Olympics. Highlights the problems that make the topic of boat arrivals controversial (people smugglers profiteering, amongst other things), but also the completely amateurish and inhumane approach of the Australian government (when Muderis describes a few nights in a regular Australian jail as a welcome respite from detention camps, you know there is something wrong with the picture).
Muderis goes on to become a significant contributor to Australia and indeed the world through his medical innovation (this is no spoiler, it's mentioned in the first pages), which makes you wonder what potential is squandered or squashed with Australia's regrettable approach to refugees.
Muderis goes on to become a significant contributor to Australia and indeed the world through his medical innovation (this is no spoiler, it's mentioned in the first pages), which makes you wonder what potential is squandered or squashed with Australia's regrettable approach to refugees.
September 13, 2022
Refugee vs humane treatment in Australia
January 28, 2016
Dr Munjed Al Muderis grew up in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's reign. He went to school with Saddam's sons, then started his medical training at Basra University just as the Iran-Iraq War began. One day, as he was working as a trainee surgeon at the Saddam Hussein Medical Centre, he and his colleagues were ordered to remove the tops of the ears of army deserters. He could not bring himself to act in defiance of the medical code of conduct and cause intentional harm, so he had no choice but to flee Baghdad that same day. In Kuala Lumpur he paid people smugglers to get him to Australia, where he was incarcerated in a detention centre and known only as '982'. After nine months of being repeatedly brutalised for standing up for himself and other detainees, Munjed was finally freed.
But he had to start his medical training again, from scratch. Now, 15 years later, Munjed is at the forefront of orthopaedic medicine as he pioneers a new form of prosthesis that, ironically, transforms the lives of soldiers mutilated in the Iraq War.
Walking Free is the extraordinary story of a clever young man, born into one of Iraq's ruling families, who was forced to flee the country of his birth and forge a new and extraordinary life in Australia.
I am a little bit divided about this book. Lots of positives and negatives about it...but let's start with the positives:
Munjed is a brilliant man - he escaped a brutal dictatorship in Iraq, he survived the long journey to Australia on a boat hardly fit for transport (on which he was the sole doctor trying to "care for more than 150 people - including 3 pregnant women) and became a pioneering surgeon in orthopaedic medicine. In anyone's terms, that is an amazing story. He speaks of the people who helped him, the people who made his life hard. He speaks of the injustices of the refugee/immigration policies at that time. He speaks of his love of his work. He comes across as a guy you would be more than happy to shake the hand of.
However, the downsides were frustrating. I think the front cover of this book and the blurb on the back did the story no favours. Although it doesn't specifically say that he was from a poor family, my images of refugees are of people with no money, no hope. That is not the case here. Munjed came from a very wealthy family - he even paid $10,000 for a fake passport to get him out of Iraq. His mother handed him great wads of cash at every opportunity. So, in that regard, I didn't feel he was doing it too tough.
Also, the front cover says he came to Australia to become a pioneering surgeon - while that may be technically true, he was already well on his way to being a surgeon before he fled Iraq. He had studied at some of the finer universities/teaching hospitals in Iraq.
And, finally, his attitudes to the Australian government and the people running the Curtin detention centre. I am not sure what he expected, slipping into the country illegally (after throwing his $10,000 passport overboard on the way) having no identification papers and for no reason other than he didn't want to do something ordered by Saddam. I don't think his life was under threat in Iraq, and I don't really believe he was a genuine refugee. And that spoiled my opinion of him and the book itself.
Paul
ARH
But he had to start his medical training again, from scratch. Now, 15 years later, Munjed is at the forefront of orthopaedic medicine as he pioneers a new form of prosthesis that, ironically, transforms the lives of soldiers mutilated in the Iraq War.
Walking Free is the extraordinary story of a clever young man, born into one of Iraq's ruling families, who was forced to flee the country of his birth and forge a new and extraordinary life in Australia.
I am a little bit divided about this book. Lots of positives and negatives about it...but let's start with the positives:
Munjed is a brilliant man - he escaped a brutal dictatorship in Iraq, he survived the long journey to Australia on a boat hardly fit for transport (on which he was the sole doctor trying to "care for more than 150 people - including 3 pregnant women) and became a pioneering surgeon in orthopaedic medicine. In anyone's terms, that is an amazing story. He speaks of the people who helped him, the people who made his life hard. He speaks of the injustices of the refugee/immigration policies at that time. He speaks of his love of his work. He comes across as a guy you would be more than happy to shake the hand of.
However, the downsides were frustrating. I think the front cover of this book and the blurb on the back did the story no favours. Although it doesn't specifically say that he was from a poor family, my images of refugees are of people with no money, no hope. That is not the case here. Munjed came from a very wealthy family - he even paid $10,000 for a fake passport to get him out of Iraq. His mother handed him great wads of cash at every opportunity. So, in that regard, I didn't feel he was doing it too tough.
Also, the front cover says he came to Australia to become a pioneering surgeon - while that may be technically true, he was already well on his way to being a surgeon before he fled Iraq. He had studied at some of the finer universities/teaching hospitals in Iraq.
And, finally, his attitudes to the Australian government and the people running the Curtin detention centre. I am not sure what he expected, slipping into the country illegally (after throwing his $10,000 passport overboard on the way) having no identification papers and for no reason other than he didn't want to do something ordered by Saddam. I don't think his life was under threat in Iraq, and I don't really believe he was a genuine refugee. And that spoiled my opinion of him and the book itself.
Paul
ARH
February 22, 2017
I have a lot of mixed feelings with regards to this book.
We hear the news of what happens in Iraq, when they invade Kuwait and the first Gulf War and we sit in our comfy homes and think thats terrible and aren't we lucky here in Australia. It was really interesting to read how all of this impacted an Iraqi resident.
I can't imagine what it would feel like to be frightened for your life and have to flee from your own country with no real plan of where you are going to end up. He comes from a wealthy family which he freely admits and has had an easy upbringing. This is also easy to see from the picture of the inside of his house in Iraq. He accidentally fell in with two men who were illegally immigrating and thus ended up on a boat coming to Australia. He was young, scared for his life, no real plan, these two guys had a solution for him. Could he have come to Australia legally considering he had funds??
The people smugglers.........words can't describe them, making money and lots of it out of other people's desperation. The boat trip sounded horrendous.
When they arrived in Australian waters and were picked up by the AFP and taken to Christmas Island, I felt they were treated well however I felt some of the immigrants extremely disrespectful rejecting food that had been given them and demanding food that they were used to. I felt the AFP treated them with respect and did they best they could given the circumstances.
On to the Curtin Detention Center. That bit actually made me feel ashamed to be Australian. Yes they are illegal immigrants but does that really warrant them being treated so badly and not even using names just a number. Disgusting.
There were so many different types of people there, desperate scared people who would do anything and pay anything for a new life. A lot of people from poor villages who couldn't read or write from Iraq and Iran which surprised me. There were also the fundamentalists the animosity between different type of Muslim religions which I didn't like at all.
I'm glad they were all processed and able to make a new life here in Australia and I was pleased to be able to read Munjed's story, I certainly learnt a lot.
Munjed Al Muderis is a world leading osseointegration surgeon and I'm happy for him, good on him that he was able to realise his dream and make so many peoples lives better and is continuing to do this.
I really felt for him throughout this book especially how he was treated in the detention Center but when he left I felt myself not liking him all that much anymore hence only three stars for this book.
I was discussing this book with a friend today and said how disgusting the Curtin Detention Center was. He told me that approx 7 years ago whilst travelling around Australia he spent two weeks in Broome and for two Sunday's attended a Baptist Church and learnt that volunteers from that church drove three hours one way each week to teach the detainees English. Obviously wasn't in Munjed's time just thought it worthwhile mentioning this.
We hear the news of what happens in Iraq, when they invade Kuwait and the first Gulf War and we sit in our comfy homes and think thats terrible and aren't we lucky here in Australia. It was really interesting to read how all of this impacted an Iraqi resident.
I can't imagine what it would feel like to be frightened for your life and have to flee from your own country with no real plan of where you are going to end up. He comes from a wealthy family which he freely admits and has had an easy upbringing. This is also easy to see from the picture of the inside of his house in Iraq. He accidentally fell in with two men who were illegally immigrating and thus ended up on a boat coming to Australia. He was young, scared for his life, no real plan, these two guys had a solution for him. Could he have come to Australia legally considering he had funds??
The people smugglers.........words can't describe them, making money and lots of it out of other people's desperation. The boat trip sounded horrendous.
When they arrived in Australian waters and were picked up by the AFP and taken to Christmas Island, I felt they were treated well however I felt some of the immigrants extremely disrespectful rejecting food that had been given them and demanding food that they were used to. I felt the AFP treated them with respect and did they best they could given the circumstances.
On to the Curtin Detention Center. That bit actually made me feel ashamed to be Australian. Yes they are illegal immigrants but does that really warrant them being treated so badly and not even using names just a number. Disgusting.
There were so many different types of people there, desperate scared people who would do anything and pay anything for a new life. A lot of people from poor villages who couldn't read or write from Iraq and Iran which surprised me. There were also the fundamentalists the animosity between different type of Muslim religions which I didn't like at all.
I'm glad they were all processed and able to make a new life here in Australia and I was pleased to be able to read Munjed's story, I certainly learnt a lot.
Munjed Al Muderis is a world leading osseointegration surgeon and I'm happy for him, good on him that he was able to realise his dream and make so many peoples lives better and is continuing to do this.
I really felt for him throughout this book especially how he was treated in the detention Center but when he left I felt myself not liking him all that much anymore hence only three stars for this book.
I was discussing this book with a friend today and said how disgusting the Curtin Detention Center was. He told me that approx 7 years ago whilst travelling around Australia he spent two weeks in Broome and for two Sunday's attended a Baptist Church and learnt that volunteers from that church drove three hours one way each week to teach the detainees English. Obviously wasn't in Munjed's time just thought it worthwhile mentioning this.
May 8, 2015
Reading this book was straying REALLY FAR from my comfort zone of books. Firstly, it's an autobiography, which I admit is the first one i've ever read (excluding justice game, mao's last dancer), secondly it's focused quite a bit on the social/political aspects of modern warfare which I tend to avoid mostly in any genre....
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised, in fact, I'll even go as far to say that I was absolutely mindblown after reading this book. It has SERIOUSLY made me reflect upon modern day political situations (asylum seekers) and the war in Iraq from a TOTALLY different perspective to that presented in the media (conflicting perspectives lol)
BUT YES! Munjed Al Muderis is actually such an inspiration, and just reading his story and hardships makes me root for him. This book is basically giving the authorities a "motherfuckers, look at me now".
Yes munjed, LOOK AT U NOW. pls teach me the ways
//only thing I can whine about is that I hoped that there would be more medical related stories since the book was mainly about his escape but OH WELL still enjoyed it nonetheless//
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised, in fact, I'll even go as far to say that I was absolutely mindblown after reading this book. It has SERIOUSLY made me reflect upon modern day political situations (asylum seekers) and the war in Iraq from a TOTALLY different perspective to that presented in the media (conflicting perspectives lol)
BUT YES! Munjed Al Muderis is actually such an inspiration, and just reading his story and hardships makes me root for him. This book is basically giving the authorities a "motherfuckers, look at me now".
Yes munjed, LOOK AT U NOW. pls teach me the ways
//only thing I can whine about is that I hoped that there would be more medical related stories since the book was mainly about his escape but OH WELL still enjoyed it nonetheless//
November 28, 2017
This is a sad story with so much blood and tears! It is too sad to be true but luckily it ended up to a happy outcome! Dr. Munjed survived wars in the Middle East but this didn't mean that he would have a normal life afterwards. He stepped on an unexpected horrible journey to Australia to seek asylum just because he refused to execute Saddam Hussein's order to mutilate the ear of the military deserters!
He came to Australia by a boat. What welcome him is a 10 months of unexpected, unforgettable, humiliated life in Curtin Detention Center in Western Australia!
Dr. Munjed is such a wonderful great man with great courage and kindness he dedicated himself in the field of osteointegration surgery to help lots of the amputees to walk free again after he left the detention center. Australia is so blessed to have him in the country!
He came to Australia by a boat. What welcome him is a 10 months of unexpected, unforgettable, humiliated life in Curtin Detention Center in Western Australia!
Dr. Munjed is such a wonderful great man with great courage and kindness he dedicated himself in the field of osteointegration surgery to help lots of the amputees to walk free again after he left the detention center. Australia is so blessed to have him in the country!
Read
December 19, 2014This book was very interesting although it was written in a very dry style. More people should write books about this topic to help people understand the issues.
February 4, 2019
This book did not ring true to me at all. I do not believe a lot of what Muderis is saying about Iraq and his past.
One of worst books I have read.
One of worst books I have read.
November 12, 2019
Reading Dr. Al Muderis' account of his journey from Iraq to Australia reminded me of just how many lives were shattered and just how many people were forced to flee Iraq due to the war. My parents and most of my family left Iraq because of the war between Iraq and Iran, as well as the Gulf war.
Dr. Al Muderis' story is a story of hope. He shows us that refugees and asylum seekers are able to integrate and positively contribute to the countries in which they settle in. The work that he does in orthopaedics is making such a difference in his patient's lives. He makes all Iraqis and Australians proud.
Dr. Al Muderis was also recently named 2020 NSW Australian of the year! What an achievement. I think it was very well deserved. Also, if you haven't seen it, Dr. Al Muderis has a TED talk. I'll link it here if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/tPrR7TIRp3g
I'm excited to read his next book about returning to Iraq!
Dr. Al Muderis' story is a story of hope. He shows us that refugees and asylum seekers are able to integrate and positively contribute to the countries in which they settle in. The work that he does in orthopaedics is making such a difference in his patient's lives. He makes all Iraqis and Australians proud.
Dr. Al Muderis was also recently named 2020 NSW Australian of the year! What an achievement. I think it was very well deserved. Also, if you haven't seen it, Dr. Al Muderis has a TED talk. I'll link it here if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/tPrR7TIRp3g
I'm excited to read his next book about returning to Iraq!
April 18, 2021
An amazing story of a man born into privilege in Iraq and educated as a doctor, living through the horrors of Gulf Wars and political terror. Forced to make a choice between performing unspeakable medical procedures and running for his life, he chooses the latter and becomes a boat person from Indonesia, landing on Christmas Island before being transferred to Curtin detention centre in Northern Western Australia. The conditions there are horrific, epitomised by referring to all the inhabitants by number and never by name. Eventually Munjed is freed and goes on to become an international pioneer in orthopaedic surgery. His story is remarkable. For me it came alive when he reached Australia and Australians should read his almost dispassionate, objective account of this time in the detention centre and question their government and their own values. I would have liked a little more insight into his private life. His first marriage which barely lasted a year, his second marriage to Doha who had been through so much with him and which produced 2 sons, and then his later marriage to the Russian born Irina. He also seemed to always have access to money and connections which certainly would have given an advantage over other refugees.
January 10, 2024
3.5 stars.
Well written story of a young Iraqi doctor who rises from the difficulties of Saddam’s regime to seek refuge in Australia. From the harrowing trips across the border with Jordan to a flight to Indonesia and smuggled on a fishing boat to Christmas Island and then incarcerated in a detention camp in remote Western Australia. Despite it all he rises to forge his career in orthopedics and help others.
Well written story of a young Iraqi doctor who rises from the difficulties of Saddam’s regime to seek refuge in Australia. From the harrowing trips across the border with Jordan to a flight to Indonesia and smuggled on a fishing boat to Christmas Island and then incarcerated in a detention camp in remote Western Australia. Despite it all he rises to forge his career in orthopedics and help others.
March 23, 2019
Munjed’s story evokes so many emotions and makes you question the legal systems of our country. This book was an emotional read for me the reason being, he was the orthopaedic surgeon that performed a knee replacement on my grandmother.
I remember her speaking of Munjed and how impressed she was by his professionalism and bed side manor. It spurred me on to purchase his book for her as a birthday gift a few years ago. She read it very quickly and handed it back to and simply said... ‘ you should read this Katy’ .. well I was a new mum, my time for reading was very rare and not a priority, the book went onto my bookshelf with the thought, I’ll get to reading that one day.
Now my biggest regret is that it’s taken me till now to read, firstly and primarily my beloved grandmother passed last year, and sadly I won’t get to have that critique conversation we would have over all manner of subjects, politics, events of the world and especially books we had both read.
My love and my mother’s love of reading I know we got from her ... she always had at least 1 book in the go from many and varied subject matter.
My second regret is that, I wish I had read this earlier. My understanding of refugees and their treatment is very limited, and what the media portrays, well how true to life is it??
Munjed is an incredibly resilient man. Intelligent, in his approach not only to his chosen profession but to humanity and people in general. I know my grandmothers feelings towards him were nothing but the utmost respect, and she felt incredibly safe in his hands as a surgeon.
I am looking forward to reading his follow up book ...
I remember her speaking of Munjed and how impressed she was by his professionalism and bed side manor. It spurred me on to purchase his book for her as a birthday gift a few years ago. She read it very quickly and handed it back to and simply said... ‘ you should read this Katy’ .. well I was a new mum, my time for reading was very rare and not a priority, the book went onto my bookshelf with the thought, I’ll get to reading that one day.
Now my biggest regret is that it’s taken me till now to read, firstly and primarily my beloved grandmother passed last year, and sadly I won’t get to have that critique conversation we would have over all manner of subjects, politics, events of the world and especially books we had both read.
My love and my mother’s love of reading I know we got from her ... she always had at least 1 book in the go from many and varied subject matter.
My second regret is that, I wish I had read this earlier. My understanding of refugees and their treatment is very limited, and what the media portrays, well how true to life is it??
Munjed is an incredibly resilient man. Intelligent, in his approach not only to his chosen profession but to humanity and people in general. I know my grandmothers feelings towards him were nothing but the utmost respect, and she felt incredibly safe in his hands as a surgeon.
I am looking forward to reading his follow up book ...
February 1, 2015
I'm pleased to have had this book recommended to me as it reminded me again of the arduous journeys made by many asylum seekers in Australia and the inhumane treatment many receive when in detention centres. (Of course now these detention centres are offshore - in my opinion a massive dereliction of duty of care by Australian governments of both persuasions).
The journalist Patrick Weaver actually wrote Muderis' story, in consultation with him, and deserves more of the credit. The central section of the book, from the time the young doctor Muderis decides to leave Iraq (because he has been asked by the Sadam regime to undertake brutal surgery as a punishment for army deserters) to the time when he is granted political asylum, is the most intense and interesting. Perhaps this is because the power of the story carries the book along, whereas his background in Iraq and his later medical achievements in Australia are more perfunctorily told. Muderis himself comes across as a rather aloof and supercilious character. I found the similar story The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif more compelling and the people in it more approachable.
The journalist Patrick Weaver actually wrote Muderis' story, in consultation with him, and deserves more of the credit. The central section of the book, from the time the young doctor Muderis decides to leave Iraq (because he has been asked by the Sadam regime to undertake brutal surgery as a punishment for army deserters) to the time when he is granted political asylum, is the most intense and interesting. Perhaps this is because the power of the story carries the book along, whereas his background in Iraq and his later medical achievements in Australia are more perfunctorily told. Muderis himself comes across as a rather aloof and supercilious character. I found the similar story The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif more compelling and the people in it more approachable.
November 17, 2017
What a magnanimous man ... after being raised in a well off liberal thinking Iraqi family Munjed had to flee Iraq when the Ba'ath Party had absolute power and required the newly trained surgeon to mutilate the ears of three busloads of prisoners. The head surgeon of the hospital where he was working as a junior was shot - the options were stark and bleak. Manjed hid in the women's toilets and escaped the hospital many hours later. He commenced the migrant journey travelling from KL to Christmas Island in a rickety overcrowded boat in 2000. Manjed then details the inhumanities of the detentions centre at Curtain, outside of Derby in WA where he spent 10 months - a terrible experience.
Once released he went on to chase his dream of being an orthopaedic surgeon, pioneering the field of osseointegration which enables a double amputee to walk normally again, with a rod integrated into the bone of the stump. This part of Manjed's life only gets a few pages ... not sure why ... it would have been just as interesting as the rest.
Co-written by Patrick Weaver ... not particularly well - I think the subject matter kept me riveted, not the writing style which was a bit bland.
Once released he went on to chase his dream of being an orthopaedic surgeon, pioneering the field of osseointegration which enables a double amputee to walk normally again, with a rod integrated into the bone of the stump. This part of Manjed's life only gets a few pages ... not sure why ... it would have been just as interesting as the rest.
Co-written by Patrick Weaver ... not particularly well - I think the subject matter kept me riveted, not the writing style which was a bit bland.
October 9, 2016
Another amazing true story of survival, true grit and eventually a favourable outcome. Interlaced throughout is Munjed's fortunate upbringing and access to wealth. However, it certainly is astonishing how elements of life, dictate who you are, who you become, the path taken to get there and against all odds, a destiny and journey little understood. A refugee and oh shock horror, Munjed arrived by boat via Christmas Island.
He is spot on in his claim that politicians in this country should take a much needed compassionate approach to those who reach our shores whether by 'legal' means or not. All means of escaping the hell of war is legitimate in my view.
What a quest he undertook to live life! Great to read how this man's journey and unfathomable treatment at Curtin Detention Centre was unable to destroy his desire to become an Orthopaedic Surgeon.
He triumphs and has done Australia proud! A world leading osseointegration surgeon. Wow!
He is spot on in his claim that politicians in this country should take a much needed compassionate approach to those who reach our shores whether by 'legal' means or not. All means of escaping the hell of war is legitimate in my view.
What a quest he undertook to live life! Great to read how this man's journey and unfathomable treatment at Curtin Detention Centre was unable to destroy his desire to become an Orthopaedic Surgeon.
He triumphs and has done Australia proud! A world leading osseointegration surgeon. Wow!
March 22, 2015
I don't think this was well written, so Patrick Weaver is lucky to be published. While I agree with some of his observations in the last chapter , I'm not sure whether this was supposed to make me change my view of illegal immigrants. The fact that on arrival on Australian soil they wanted something else to eat other than what they were offered, made me wonder why they were not just put back out to sea. There is an instant when the writer sits the Medical Board of Victoria exam with a colleague who entered Australia officially. He makes no comment about this. No. Didn't change my mind about illegal immigrants. Whether it's cultural, but I was more moved by the memoir by Ahn Do, The Happiest Refugee.
April 28, 2015
Teetering between 3 and 4 stars. I scored higher because I found the description of the detention centre at Curtin and the staff operating the centre, harrowing, moving and an eye-opener. It is inhumane and goes against what our nation strives for. On the otherhand, I did not relate well with the author. I admit that he had harsh circumstances, but I found the book rather clinical and found it disturbing that we heard more about what he had for breakfast than anything about his three marriages - the just seemed to come and go with hardly any acknowledgement. I appreciate that he is a brilliant surgeon, however, and it continues to be seen that dedication to any field often causes other areas to fail.
December 28, 2016
This book makes me wonder what other talented individuals have we locked away in our detention camps, denying Australia the talents that they would dearly love to share.
Reading this book makes me also realise that we need to change the way we deal with our refugees and stop the propaganda and lies we seem to believe about these people (and they are people, not 'things')
My criticism of this book is the fact that the ending seemed rushed and unfulfilling. I wanted to know more about his field of medicine, how he got into it and more on what it involves. It was almost like "I've told you the refugee story, by the way I am now a surgeon and this is what I do"
Sadly unfulfilling in this regard
Reading this book makes me also realise that we need to change the way we deal with our refugees and stop the propaganda and lies we seem to believe about these people (and they are people, not 'things')
My criticism of this book is the fact that the ending seemed rushed and unfulfilling. I wanted to know more about his field of medicine, how he got into it and more on what it involves. It was almost like "I've told you the refugee story, by the way I am now a surgeon and this is what I do"
Sadly unfulfilling in this regard
March 4, 2019
I absolutely loved this book and wish I was the Australian journalist who had had a hand in making sure that this story was told. It should be required reading for every Australian. I cringed at the description of the appalling thuggish behavior of the guards and the conditions at the Curtain refugee centre near Derby in the far north of Western Australia. I have become very concerned about Australia's refugee policy and this book has convinced me that we are on the wrong track and need to change. But this not a book about accusations it is about human achievement against formidable odds. I have already downloaded his just released second book about going back to Iraq to work as a guest surgeon, even though he has no intention of moving back to the country of his birth.
July 8, 2017
The true account of an asylum seeker. His trip from Iraq to Australia and the troubles he faced. I'm on the fence about how I feel about this book. While there are parts that are genuinely appalling, there are others that feels rushed, almost like we aren't being given the full picture. The author has also painted himself with a golden brush. He apparently did no wrong and the hostile attitude of others is either tagged as character flaws or calculated attacks with an agenda. Nonetheless, the book helps gain some perspective on Iraq post the attacks on Kuwait and under Saddam administration.
October 15, 2016
I am not a big reader of autobiographies, but this one is outstanding. The first part is about Munjed Al Muderis' life in Iraq during the Gulf war, which I found fascinating as I did not really know that much about it, and never felt I understood it. His description of his time in Curtin detention centre as a refugee made me ashamed to be Australian, and he glosses over his achievements as a world renowned osseointegration surgeon. We are so lucky to have people such as Muderis in our country.
December 14, 2014
This was a worthwhile read to gain an understanding of a refugee's experience arriving in Australia from Iraq via Malaysia in recent times. His treatment in Curtin Detention Centre was appalling and it was a surprise to me that detainees are referred to only by number. It is important that the general public's eyes are opened to what really goes on in these institutions instead of the 'propaganda' we are fed through the media.
December 14, 2016
Thank you Munjed for sharing your story. It is amazing, appalling, inspiring and so many other things. The book is short and 'easy' to read. With all the challenges and hardship he has faced it is hard not to think of the author as being privileged to have an overwhelmingly positive attitude. I hate to think how much more depraved the situation is for more recent refugees who are in detention for so much longer.
November 15, 2015
The writing style bothered me sometimes, as it had lots of incomplete sentences. It was a little slow at the beginning, but after the first few chapters, the action picked up, and I couldn't stop reading. It's an amazing story, and I admire Munjed - after everything he endured at the hands of humans, he has dedicated his life to helping people.
June 7, 2016
I felt shamed reading this book - that my government could stoop so low! -even to replacing people's names with numbers. Hmm, that's been done before! How could we? And then I was gobsmacked by the graciousness of this man and amazed at what he has given back to Australia despite the way he was treated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews