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Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq

by Chris Coppola (Goodreads Author), Guy Raz (Foreword)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 71 ratings · 24 reviews

Eric Hoffer Award Finalist and Montaigne Medal Finalist

The fierce, true-life account of United States Air Force pediatric surgeon Lt. Col. Dr. Chris Coppola, this book describes his experiences through two deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom inside a military trauma hospital at Balad Air Base, just 49 miles north of Baghdad. Novelistic in scope and vision, this memoir e...more

Hardcover, 265 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by NTI Upstream

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Mar 12, 2012 Timothy Bazzett rated it 5 of 5 stars

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...more 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.(less)

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Nov 10, 2009 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, military, non-fiction

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. "Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq" is a medical memoir that gives a unique look at the events in Iraq from the point of view of the medical staff who dealt with the injured in Jan. 2005-May 2005 and Sept. 2007-Jan. 2008.

Most of the book was about Coppola's first deployment. He recounted a variety of surgeries he performed--including those performed on American military, Iraqi policemen and military, terrorists, civilian adults and chi...more I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. "Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq" is a medical memoir that gives a unique look at the events in Iraq from the point of view of the medical staff who dealt with the injured in Jan. 2005-May 2005 and Sept. 2007-Jan. 2008.

Most of the book was about Coppola's first deployment. He recounted a variety of surgeries he performed--including those performed on American military, Iraqi policemen and military, terrorists, civilian adults and children. But it mostly focused on the children. If graphic descriptions of surgery make you queasy, then this is not the book for you.

He also described what life was like on the base during his down-time. Since most military memoirs are by those who worked "outside the wire," it was interesting to see what life was like for someone who worked "inside the wire."

In the second section of the book, Coppola described what life was like when he came home. In the third section, he described a few cases but mainly focused on the differences in the facilities and incoming casualties between his first and second deployments.

While there were references to God (mainly by the people he worked with), this book did not have any religious theme. And, while Coppola made his personal feelings about being deployed quite clear, he only briefly referred to his mixed feelings about the war. Whether you feel that going to war is right or wrong, I suspect this book won't offend your feelings.

Military and medical jargon was explained in the text so I was never confused about what was being said. However, the book was written primarily in first person present tense ("I see" instead of "I saw"). At times, this sounded awkward to me, but it wasn't too distracting.

There were several black-and-white photos of people, places, and things mentioned in the memoir. There was a very minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a look into the medical side of war.(less)

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Nov 13, 2009 Lynda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq will have me viewing every bomb blast reported from Iraq in a different light.
You see, thanks to Uncle Sam, Chris Coppola was able to graduate from John Hopkins University medical school to become a pediatric surgeon. In exchange for this priviledge Dr. Coppola was obligated to spend 6 years of his professional life as an Air Force Reserve. Much of his time was spent at Wilford Hall, Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas but was interrupted twice for tours of du...more Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq will have me viewing every bomb blast reported from Iraq in a different light.
You see, thanks to Uncle Sam, Chris Coppola was able to graduate from John Hopkins University medical school to become a pediatric surgeon. In exchange for this priviledge Dr. Coppola was obligated to spend 6 years of his professional life as an Air Force Reserve. Much of his time was spent at Wilford Hall, Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas but was interrupted twice for tours of duty at an Air Force Base in Balad, Iraq.
I love books such as this one because I walk away learning trivial things like what a so called "combat shower" is and the ABC's of basic trauma but also a much clearer understanding of what our troups are actually going through in Iraq.
Surprisingly, Dr. Coppola and other medical personnel from the U.S are not restricted to work on just injured U.S. troops. In reality, Dr. Coppola's first night brings him an injured 2 year old boy caught in crossfire with a bullet to the head and an Iraqi police officer shot in the abdomen. Sadly, Dr. Coppola sees that it is all too common for children to be brought in with various war injuries as they are used as combatants and human shields. As word spreads of a pediatric surgeon on base, many Iraqis bring their sick children to Dr. Coppola who attempts to help them in between his regular duties. When back at home between tours of duty, Dr. Coppola and other military doctors champion towards the need and importance of having a pediatrician on staff in Iraq as medical care there is substandard to handle the injuries and medical problems to children.
Coppola's second tour seems like a blur and the final chapter seems rather rushed as the entries seem to be just journal entries rather than the lenghier more cohesive chapters that come before. The reader can't help but like this guy. A down to earth individual who loves his wife, sons, is country and humankind in general.
The book is inspiring and basically apolitical with the exception of "Hank's" opinions which may or may not be similar to Coppola's. It is a book that tells it like it is and I have even more admiration for our troops abroad than I thought possible. How moving to be reading this memoir the week of Veteran's Day when we thank our service personnel both past and present for a job well done despite the unselfish sacrifices they must make to their professional and personal lives.(less)

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Mar 20, 2010 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: source-gift, 2010-books, genre-non-fiction, genre-memoir

The parents of Jeff Link, the editor of this book, are friends of mine and I've had the fun of seeing the progress of the book and making comments on it. This December, right before the Holidays, I was given a copy of the book. I finally got to picking it up this week and just finished it today and I was very moved by the stories that Chris told.

What I really appreciated is that Chris resists the temptation to preach about anything. Instead he simply tells what happens and his feelings about it...more

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May 01, 2010 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Chris Coppola writes a memoir describing his experience in two separate deployments to Iraq as a surgeon on Balad Air Base. Some of the stories are heart-warming, but other accounts are horrific and tragic, involving not only soldiers, but also civilians and children. Through it all, he struggles mightily to reconcile his desire to offer his best efforts to patients in need and his desire to be back home in America with his family. He writes with a refreshing honesty and is somehow able to r...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Julie by: Steven Corush

Shelves: arc, all-time-favs, autographed, books-i-own, memoir

W-O-W...I don't know that I can adequately convey my feelings about this book in this post. Everyone has an opinion about the "War in Iraq" or whatever terminology you chose to use in regards to this conflict. I had one prior to reading this book and I DEFINITELY have one now!

I was contacted awhile back by the publicist for Dr. Coppola to review this book. My background in pediatric cardiology nursing drove me to want to read this book. I finished it in two sittings, which is rare for me to do!...more

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Nov 14, 2009 Jennifer (Crazy-for-Books.com) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir-non-fiction, arc

This medical memoir tells the true-life tale of Dr. Chris Coppola's two tours in Balad, Iraq as a pediatric surgeon. This book offers a very unique perspective of the war, coming from the medical staff who dealt with the aftermath of the bombings and shootings in Iraq. This book will really open your eyes to what happens there on an almost daily basis. It is heartbreaking.

The book is broken into three parts. A good chunk of it details Dr. Coppola's first tour in Balad starting in January 2005 an...more This medical memoir tells the true-life tale of Dr. Chris Coppola's two tours in Balad, Iraq as a pediatric surgeon. This book offers a very unique perspective of the war, coming from the medical staff who dealt with the aftermath of the bombings and shootings in Iraq. This book will really open your eyes to what happens there on an almost daily basis. It is heartbreaking.

The book is broken into three parts. A good chunk of it details Dr. Coppola's first tour in Balad starting in January 2005 and ending in May 2005. He recounts numerous surgeries that he performed on American soldiers, Iraqi soldiers and policemen, terrorists, and civilians, including innocent children. There are some pretty graphic explanations of the surgeries. The medical jargon is explained fairly well, so I wasn't too confused by the narrative during these sections.

As a pediatric surgeon, Dr. Coppola was called into the hospital whenever a child came in. He became known in Iraq as a healer of children and many families would seek him out to care for their child. The cover of the book illustrates this point. A woman heard of Dr. Coppola and, without knowing any English, came to the hospital with just his name on a scrap piece of paper, seeking his help. There were many times, however, that children had to be turned away since they were not directly injured as a result of the war.

It was difficult to read about his experiences with various children throughout his deployment. I honestly don't know how he did it. It was emotional to read some of the stories, especially that of Leila. You can feel his pain and angst as he related her story. You want to help these children in every way that you can.

One thing I found especially interesting are all of the recreational activities that are available on base. I had no idea that these types of things would be available to the military (movie theater, gym, swimming pool). It definitely gives me a new perspective in that regard.

The second part of the book details Dr. Coppola's return to "normal" life back home after his first deployment. Playing with his kids, puttering around his house, spending time with his wife. Things that he missed out on while he was deployed.

Finally, the third part of the book relates Dr. Coppola's experiences during his second deployment, from September 2007 through January 2008. He comes into Balad to a new hospital facility that is much improved over his first "tent" facility during the first tour. He details many more stories of people he encountered and surgeries he performed during this time.

This is an amazing book that I highly recommend. It was an emotional read that really opened my eyes to what is actually happened on the other side of the world. Many of the Iraqi people that Dr. Coppola encountered are just like us - they love their children and family fiercely and are appreciative to anyone who can help them. This is definitely a must-read.
(less)

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Nov 27, 2009 Naomi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-recommend

My daughter recommended this book to me and I'm glad she did. It's the first time I've ever read a first person account of someone from our military's experience in Iraq. Not only did I gain insight into what our troops experience--the conditions, the range of feelings, and oftentimes the internal conflict. I also feel like I now have a better sense of the war itself (whether I agree with it or not), and what the Iraqi people experience. Particularly for people like me, who rarely come into cont...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great book -- but a hard one to finish. I could find so many other books that I read more quickly. Just look at my list! However, despite that I kept saying it is M*A*S*H with out the humor and gin -- it was worth reading.

I read of review of this book and bought it for the library. I then promoted it to a few people to read as a non-fiction book group but discovered that very few libraries owned it and we couldn't bring in enough copies for the discussion group. No having finally fini...more

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Mar 20, 2010 Tara Chevrestt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, arc, 2010-release, memoir

This has proven to be a very good book, a medical war memoir. Dr. Coppola was an Air Force Major when he first deployed to Iraq in 2005. Normally a pediatric surgeon, he spent four months (and more upon his second deployment) taking care of combat wounds, amputations, hernias, and distended abdomens from either hernias or inner infections. At the same time, he had to deal with missing his wife and kids, being super aware of his surroundings and ducking under cover, taking 90 second showers, and...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Cate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Title says it all, really. He writes about his two tours there, doing general surgery on injured troops and pediatric surgery on whatever kids happen to come in to the hospital - some injured by the war, some with problems that the Iraqi parents want the American doctors to treat.

This was not easy to read -- he goes into a fair amount of detail, both medical and personal -- but I stayed up late to finish it, and it was worth it. Good inside look at the war.

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Jan 29, 2010 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Chris Coppola is a true American hero. His book is difficult to read, but it is an important account of an unpopular war.

The author leaves his family (a wife and three young sons) not once, but twice, to fulfill his duty to the US military. His experiences in Iraq, treating wounded soldiers (both US and Iraqi) and children alike, speaks to the power of an individual to overcome his personal beliefs for the greater good.

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Jan 12, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

An intense look at a pediatric surgeon's two tours of duty during the Iraq War. Dr. Chris Coppola knew he'd have to serve his country once he decided to accept the Air Force's medical school scholarships, but the two tours he served in Iraq reveals a dedicated doctor who goes to the limits and beyond for his patients--both army and civilian, and mostly Iraqi children. Touching and well-written.

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Jun 23, 2010 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

My sister did the desktop publishing on this book and highly recommended it. It's not something I would have picked out for myself, but that's one of the reasons I joined a book discussion group. I will read this with an open mind.

I thought it was very interesting. I could have lived without the detailed descriptions of the surgeries, but overall, I liked it. I wouldn't describe it as a "page-turner" as it was easy to put down, but it was an easy-to-read book.

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Nov 23, 2009 Signora rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic book...a first hand account of 2 tours of duty in Iraq by Dr. Coppola, a pediatric surgeon. I saw the war that is not on CNN...the humanity of our medical troops and those they care for, be they soldiers, civilians or children. Inspiring!

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Sep 08, 2010 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

This was a non-fiction look at a pediatric surgeon stationed in Iraq. Well it was non-fiction, it was readable and I sped through it. It had limited politics and focused on the patients, the fellow doctors, and the base area. I highly recommend it.

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Aug 22, 2010 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, nonfiction, world-culture, war

I can't even remember where I heard about this book.

This is an eye-opening, shocking book that makes so much more sense than the sterile reports that so many U.S. Military and so many Iraqi citizens were killed today. Many, many emotional parts to this book which also includes a lot of the detail about wounds from IED's and gunshot wounds.

This book doesn't have the feel of anti- or pro-war. It looks at the positives and negatives while wishing war didn't exist. Don't we all wish it didn't? It's...more

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Oct 21, 2009 Gabe rated it 5 of 5 stars

An incredible book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the military/memoir/medical genres. This book will change the way you perceive the current conflict in Iraq.

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Jul 01, 2010 Dawn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well, I just plain changed my mind on reading this one. I still think it would be a good book subject-wise, but somehow the way it is written is just gorry to me. It's very surgical, with lots of medical terms that I'm sure must mean more to someone in a medical field, but just made me think of blood and yuck much more than anything else. Maybe someone else can read this book and get my brain past that, and then I'd be willing to give it another shot. I didn't get past the trauma in the military...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Elizabeth LeForge Yoder rated it 2 of 5 stars

Interesting, but there are other books by military docs regarding the war that I'd recommend before this one.

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Aug 13, 2010 Kim Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Quick read - very enlightening. I'm going to recommend Tyler & Bryce read this one.

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Nov 04, 2011 kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-non-fiction

Hmmm. I love the topic but I was looking for more - especially about the children... Yes, of course he missed his family and his children - but his tour of four months was relatively brief compared to others...

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Oct 28, 2010 Marialyce rated it 2 of 5 stars

Please stop your Whining, Dr Coppola. The government paid for your MD and now you must serve your time. Please be a man and so so!

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Jun 25, 2012 Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amazing book! Amazing man. Proud to have known Dr. Coppola and blessed to have him as a doctor. Great read!

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