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Call the Doctor
Ronald White-Cooper was an experienced surgeon who had worked in London's East End and in the terrible conditions of the Somme, but when he arrived in Dartmouth in 1920, newly wed and looking for a fresh start as a GP, he found himself facing some unexpected challenges. Not only were his country patients unimpressed by the young doctor's new-fangled ways but he would need all his wits, as well as his medical skills, to deal with the cases that came through his surgery door.
Whether it was a crusty farmer, a manic dentist or a midwife convinced she had been haunted, from premature births and the ever-prevalent TB to attempted suicides, Ronald helped his patients as best he could. In a world without antibiotics, where a small injury could be fatal and there was no cure for many common diseases, life was unpredictable. For Ronald too, there were times of tragedy as well great joy as he practised through the depression and the Second World War.
Written with warmth and humour, and full of eccentric characters, Call the Doctor movingly evokes a bygone age.
Whether it was a crusty farmer, a manic dentist or a midwife convinced she had been haunted, from premature births and the ever-prevalent TB to attempted suicides, Ronald helped his patients as best he could. In a world without antibiotics, where a small injury could be fatal and there was no cure for many common diseases, life was unpredictable. For Ronald too, there were times of tragedy as well great joy as he practised through the depression and the Second World War.
Written with warmth and humour, and full of eccentric characters, Call the Doctor movingly evokes a bygone age.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
279 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 8, 2014
Call the Doctor is a non-fiction based recollection of Ronald White-Cooper's tales and diary entries. Ronald was a doctor who started practising in the early 1900's.
Ronald's granddaughter (who later edited this book) found his diary entries in the attic several years after his death. Although he probably never thought that these would be turned into a book, I am really glad that they did, as I enjoyed reading his work very much! Ronald seems to have been such an amazing person and doctor who lived an interesting and fulfilled life.
His writing is extremely warm and detailed. I loved that next to his medical experiences (I cannot believe how far medicine has come in the last 100 years!!) he also lets the reader in on his personal life by telling brilliant patient and family anecdotes. It quickly becomes clear how much he must have been loved and respected by his patients and fellow peers.
There are also quite a few family photos included in this book which I thought was a brilliant addition. It really helped me to visualize his character.
Call the Doctor is a witty, funny and brilliant recollection of the experiences of a practising doctor from several decades ago.
Ronald's granddaughter (who later edited this book) found his diary entries in the attic several years after his death. Although he probably never thought that these would be turned into a book, I am really glad that they did, as I enjoyed reading his work very much! Ronald seems to have been such an amazing person and doctor who lived an interesting and fulfilled life.
His writing is extremely warm and detailed. I loved that next to his medical experiences (I cannot believe how far medicine has come in the last 100 years!!) he also lets the reader in on his personal life by telling brilliant patient and family anecdotes. It quickly becomes clear how much he must have been loved and respected by his patients and fellow peers.
There are also quite a few family photos included in this book which I thought was a brilliant addition. It really helped me to visualize his character.
Call the Doctor is a witty, funny and brilliant recollection of the experiences of a practising doctor from several decades ago.
February 21, 2016
With my yearning to understand all that is doctoring, both in a modern NHS and throughout history, this book provides incredible insight to the life of a medical doctor through two world wars, the development of antibiotics and the creation of the NHS. The effect of the changing nature, technological complexity and accessibility of healthcare is reflected in Dr White-Coopers practice and treatments; going from a country GP deep in the home counties, to finding the NHS system not to his liking and re-establishing himself in South Africa.
Enjoy White-Coopers life from start to finish, his scientific fascination at a young age studying hedgehog skeletons, to academic excellence at medical school, drafting into the military to serve on the front and much more. Written in flowing, articulate prose, potentially baffling medical terminology is presented in an accessible manner and stories are conveyed such that White-coopers compassion and empathy is effectively portrayed.
The life a of a devoted, compassionate and incredibly intelligent doctor; brilliantly portrayed and hard to put down.
Enjoy White-Coopers life from start to finish, his scientific fascination at a young age studying hedgehog skeletons, to academic excellence at medical school, drafting into the military to serve on the front and much more. Written in flowing, articulate prose, potentially baffling medical terminology is presented in an accessible manner and stories are conveyed such that White-coopers compassion and empathy is effectively portrayed.
The life a of a devoted, compassionate and incredibly intelligent doctor; brilliantly portrayed and hard to put down.
August 19, 2014
Born in South Africa and relocating to England in childhood, Ronald White-Cooper became a medical student at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in 1910, aged 18. The book follows his time during World War One as a medic in France, to becoming a GP in rural Devon and surviving the bombs of the Second World War. For a relatively short book, it actually manages to cover a series of major historical events, including the introduction of the National Health Service.
This book totally appealed to my inner history geek. I did a 'history of medicine' module at GCSE and have studied both World Wars in varying degrees. Technically, this book merges all of my historical interests into one text. Did it deliver?
The short answer is yes. I suppose the big hook of this memoir are the aspects concerning historical war and medicine. Both topics are widespread and well-known within modern society, but in a rather clinical, factual way. Dates, important figures, scientific words, poets etc can all be learnt and recited in a detached manner. The First World War has completely slipped out of living memory and with each passing year, there are fewer people who were alive during World War Two also. From my perspective, there's a sense of distance and disconnect with such monumental aspects of history, purely because the era and society in which they occurred has been and gone. It can be hard to associate with something that bears no relation to modern life. Therefore, I think stories like Ronald's are important for humanizing and maintaining a connection with a history that is out of our grasp; it's something that Call the Doctor does very well.
I guess what's incredibly satisfying overall is that this book doesn't bombard you with statistics and facts, nor is it analytical and filled with overwhelming medical procedures and names. It's actually accessible. It's an interesting account of a unique life that is made to feel personal and welcoming.
Another thing about this book: it is extremely varied. Yes, there are a plethora of characters, personalities and medical problems, but it can also jump from a supposed haunted house to hypnotism. Whilst this may seem bizarre and unrelated to the medical context of the book, it actually serves to give a very rounded view of a way of life that existed within a specific pocket of history. It's genuinely intriguing to read a voice from the past, a doctor's point of view no less, about a period which no longer exists. It's a life where, socially, just as many odd things happened as within his medical profession.
In that respect, it's more than a book about war and medicine: it's a book which chronicles the workings of a rural town and the people that inhabited it. The average, the strange and the downright bizarre are all included. It's a fantastic slice of social history as well as being an informative compilation of letters that, when written, demonstrated an era on the cusp of exciting advancements.
In practical terms, the chapters are short and manageable, which is always a big plus for me. There are also a few family pictures littered throughout the book, helping to put faces to names. Generally, there's a good mixture of anecdotes, gentle humour and sombre moments, covering a variety of patients, conditions and events. Speaking of patients, there are also small testimonials in-between each chapter which affirm Ronald's place as a key figure within many of their lives. We also get snippets of Ronald's family life which again gives the book a more personal facet. This demonstrates that Call the Doctor covers a pleasing number of topics, yet precisely because it is so widespread, it may not go in-depth enough for some readers. The actual re-telling of Ronald's war experiences are fairly brief; Ronald's discussions of his family are relatively brisk and the final sections of the book where Ronald moves back to South Africa aren't hugely extensive. However, on the whole it provides a good general overview of a rich, assorted life.
As the book is based upon letters written many years ago, the language is somewhat old fashioned and formal, reflecting the period that they were composed in. The spoken sections of the memoir where Ronald is quoting conversations aren't particularly natural and relaxed, instead seeming a little stilted. However, I guess it does add to the overall effect that this book is capturing a moment in time and evoking a bygone era.
Call the Doctor is along the same lines of Practice Makes Perfect by Edward Vernon (a doctor's memoir that I loved reading when I was a child) and The Last Fighting Tommy by Harry Patch. If you like those kind of books, then you'll love this.
Overall: Interesting, intriguing, informative read. It proves how far medicine has advanced and how far it will advance in the future. Includes lots of important historical events and has quirky anecdotes. A really insightful journey of a bygone era. Somewhat formal language and a variety of topics which may not provide enough depth for some readers, yet essentially it recounts a fascinating, unique life.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*Review originally posted on http://miscrawl.wordpress.com/
This book totally appealed to my inner history geek. I did a 'history of medicine' module at GCSE and have studied both World Wars in varying degrees. Technically, this book merges all of my historical interests into one text. Did it deliver?
The short answer is yes. I suppose the big hook of this memoir are the aspects concerning historical war and medicine. Both topics are widespread and well-known within modern society, but in a rather clinical, factual way. Dates, important figures, scientific words, poets etc can all be learnt and recited in a detached manner. The First World War has completely slipped out of living memory and with each passing year, there are fewer people who were alive during World War Two also. From my perspective, there's a sense of distance and disconnect with such monumental aspects of history, purely because the era and society in which they occurred has been and gone. It can be hard to associate with something that bears no relation to modern life. Therefore, I think stories like Ronald's are important for humanizing and maintaining a connection with a history that is out of our grasp; it's something that Call the Doctor does very well.
I guess what's incredibly satisfying overall is that this book doesn't bombard you with statistics and facts, nor is it analytical and filled with overwhelming medical procedures and names. It's actually accessible. It's an interesting account of a unique life that is made to feel personal and welcoming.
Another thing about this book: it is extremely varied. Yes, there are a plethora of characters, personalities and medical problems, but it can also jump from a supposed haunted house to hypnotism. Whilst this may seem bizarre and unrelated to the medical context of the book, it actually serves to give a very rounded view of a way of life that existed within a specific pocket of history. It's genuinely intriguing to read a voice from the past, a doctor's point of view no less, about a period which no longer exists. It's a life where, socially, just as many odd things happened as within his medical profession.
In that respect, it's more than a book about war and medicine: it's a book which chronicles the workings of a rural town and the people that inhabited it. The average, the strange and the downright bizarre are all included. It's a fantastic slice of social history as well as being an informative compilation of letters that, when written, demonstrated an era on the cusp of exciting advancements.
In practical terms, the chapters are short and manageable, which is always a big plus for me. There are also a few family pictures littered throughout the book, helping to put faces to names. Generally, there's a good mixture of anecdotes, gentle humour and sombre moments, covering a variety of patients, conditions and events. Speaking of patients, there are also small testimonials in-between each chapter which affirm Ronald's place as a key figure within many of their lives. We also get snippets of Ronald's family life which again gives the book a more personal facet. This demonstrates that Call the Doctor covers a pleasing number of topics, yet precisely because it is so widespread, it may not go in-depth enough for some readers. The actual re-telling of Ronald's war experiences are fairly brief; Ronald's discussions of his family are relatively brisk and the final sections of the book where Ronald moves back to South Africa aren't hugely extensive. However, on the whole it provides a good general overview of a rich, assorted life.
As the book is based upon letters written many years ago, the language is somewhat old fashioned and formal, reflecting the period that they were composed in. The spoken sections of the memoir where Ronald is quoting conversations aren't particularly natural and relaxed, instead seeming a little stilted. However, I guess it does add to the overall effect that this book is capturing a moment in time and evoking a bygone era.
Call the Doctor is along the same lines of Practice Makes Perfect by Edward Vernon (a doctor's memoir that I loved reading when I was a child) and The Last Fighting Tommy by Harry Patch. If you like those kind of books, then you'll love this.
Overall: Interesting, intriguing, informative read. It proves how far medicine has advanced and how far it will advance in the future. Includes lots of important historical events and has quirky anecdotes. A really insightful journey of a bygone era. Somewhat formal language and a variety of topics which may not provide enough depth for some readers, yet essentially it recounts a fascinating, unique life.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*Review originally posted on http://miscrawl.wordpress.com/
September 20, 2014
This is a book, written from the memoirs of a doctor who trained in the early years of the twentieth century. He then recounts his memories of medical student days, his role within the Great War and then onto his years spent as a General Practitioner. It really is a lovely book and is quite humbling quite the amount of expertise and work done by our forebares. Easy to read yet educational and made me appreciate the massive developments that healthcare has seen over the last century. Would really recommend this.
April 11, 2014
review coming soon!
September 24, 2014
An easy, engaging read.
August 29, 2017
Really interesting to note the way that some things have changed! Especially fascinating to get an insight into how medicine worked before penicillin was discovered - challenged the idea I'd had that went straight from quack plague doctors to modern super-science.
February 6, 2018
Charming book. Really evocative of the period and allows you to be entirely nosey into another way of life.
May 10, 2018
very interested.
February 18, 2019
This was a good book and great to hear how a doctor use to work before and after the nhs and great to hear all his different stories a interesting read and worth it.
May 30, 2020
A wonderful book full of the stories of an English Country doctor from the 1920s to the 1940s.
October 15, 2016
3.75 Stars. A really enjoyable look at the life of being a doctor through the wars and the medical advances that came about during that time period. I imagine when people make notes and keep journals throughout their lives, they never imagine they might one day be shared with others in such a positive way.
March 26, 2018
a really refreshing read about a doctor between the wars this book was written by his grandson from diaries kept during the practising as a GP. it is very interesting to see how medicine has changed apart from the great characters he has treated a really good read
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews