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The Butchering Art
- Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine
- Narrated by: Sam Woolf
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
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The Butchering Art
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Publisher's Summary
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris, read by Sam Woolf.
In The Butchering Art, historian Lindsey Fitzharris re-creates a critical turning point in the history of medicine, when Joseph Lister transformed surgery from a brutal, harrowing practice to the safe, vaunted profession we know today.
Victorian operating theatres were known as 'gateways of death', Fitzharris reminds us, since half of those who underwent surgery didn't survive the experience. This was an era when a broken leg could lead to amputation, and surgeons were still known to ransack cemeteries to find cadavers. And in squalid, overcrowded hospitals, doctors remained baffled by the persistent infections that kept mortality rates stubbornly high.
At a time when surgery couldn't have been more dangerous, an unlikely figure stepped forward: Joseph Lister, a young Quaker surgeon. By making the audacious claim that germs were the source of all infection - and could be treated with antiseptics - he changed the history of medicine forever.
With a novelist's eye for detail, Fitzharris brilliantly conjures up the grisly world of Victorian surgery, revealing how one of Britain's greatest medical minds finally brought centuries of savagery, sawing and gangrene to an end.
What listeners say about The Butchering Art
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- David Hann
- 01-08-2020
A remarkable watershed in medical science
Well written and read, the story of Lister’s work in the understanding of how germs killed patients following surgery in the 19th century and the introduction of antiseptic surgical practices to combat septicaemia and gangrene. Very enjoyable listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Helz M
- 05-08-2022
Hard to pause on this one
This was incredible! I have the hardcover and wanted the audiobook for when I’m busy, and to be completely honest I love the audio version more as the narrator Sam Woolf is perfection for this. There was no way I was going to do this book the justice it deserves reading it in my own head lol.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Amy V
- 14-11-2017
Loved it
It was great to hear the story of Jospeh Lister, his family and all his contributions to medicine and surgery. Beautifully narrated, and well written. I'm only sad about the short length - I really didn't want the story to end.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 20-10-2024
Fascinating time and people
The author and narrator eloquently illustrate the time, place and most importantly this amazing person.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jon Wardle
- 09-01-2020
Fascinating insights into medical history
Fascinating insights into medical history, well narrated (though some accent attempts a bit awkward). A peek into the obvious from a time when it wasn't so obvious, and the courage it took to get medicine to where we are today
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jessica Walker
- 26-10-2022
A fascinating read from beginning to end!
I absolutely loved this. The narrator was respectful at all times with enough of a wry tone at humorous moments to keep the story lively.
It was incredible to read how Lister did so much and was responsible for changing the world or medicine in so many ways.
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