The Years of the Healing Knife: A Surgeon's Autobiography

by George Sava

Kun nuoren venäläisen upseerin onnistuu hädän hetkellä pelastaa upseeritoverinsa hengen improvisoidulla leikkauksella hänessä heräsi halu opiskella lääketiedettä ja valmistua kirurgiksi. Vuonna 1938 englanniksi ilmestyneessä omaelämänkerrallisessa kirjassaan George Sava (1903-1996) kertoo siitä, miten onnistui lopulta päästä päämääräänsä, siitä huolimatta että ulkonaiset puitteet olivat häntä vastassa. Sava, jonka oikea nimi oli George Alexis Milkomanov Milkomane, pakeni bolsheviikkejä ja vallankumouksenjälkeisen sisällissodan julmuuksia, ja päätyi myöhemmin Englantiin, jossa työskenteli sekä kirurgina että tuottoisana kirjailijana.

Genres: Autobiography

191 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1976

About the author

George Alexis Milkomanovich Milkomane, aka George Braddon, Peter Conway, Alec Redwood

Reviews

[Peter Etchells · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an inspiring book for a teenage reader. I have since discovered that George Sava, whose real name was George Alexis Milkomanovich Milkomane, wrote over 100 books on a variety of subjects such as medicine, science, science fiction and politics while also working as a celebrated Harley Street surgeon. His exploits taken as a whole strain credulity. Nigel West, in his Counterfeit Spies, states his belief that much of "George Sava"'s life is fabricated, which suggests that the Healing Knife should be taken as a good piece of fiction rather than a true life story. Another problem for me in hindsight is Sava's facility with English - he must have also been a linguist or had a very good editor.

[Tweedledum · Rating 5 out of 5]

After searching unsuccessfully on Goodreads for “All this and Surgery too”which I had for many years in a hardback copy I am inclined to think that that must be a different edition of The Healing Knife. Save’s life and work is an inspiring read and the compassion and humanity of the man deserve rediscovery for our times. A pioneering surgeon.