Made a Difference for That One: A Surgeon's Letters Home from Iraq

by Meredith Coppola and Chris Coppola

Book Overview

Made a Difference for That One is a perspective of the war in Iraq that has not emerged in the newspapers or on television. When Air Force pediatric surgeon Christopher Coppola was deployed to Iraq in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595366244
• ISBN13: 9780595366248
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

enlightening

a pleasure to read and even more importantly, dr. christopher coppola is a pleasure to know.

Moving Account of Life in Iraq

It's no wonder this book won the 2006 EPPIE for best nonfiction e-book of the year! Chris wrote informative and touching accounts of his time in Iraq and his wife, Meredith, has compiled them into a cohesive and compelling book. Although his specialty is pediatric surgery, Chris was called upon to perform all kinds of medical procedures during his time in the war. However the most moving stories in the book are those about using his special skills to help the children of Iraq. Getting to know this remarkable man is a worthwhile and inspiring experience. Thanks to both of them for sharing it with the rest of us.

Showing the GOOD Side of America in Iraq

There is a fading support for the situation in Iraq. The newspapers are filled with a running count of how many soldiers were killed today and in total. As of now it's about 2,000, just about how many Americans are killed every two weeks on the highways. But that's not news. It's nice to see books like this come along once in a while. Dr. Coppola, pediatric surgeon was in Iraq working on Iraqi children. The title of the book says a lot, he made a difference for that one. That one baby, perhaps a casualty of the fighting, more likely a normally sick child, that one baby he could do something about. If you can read this book without a tear in your eye. And without feeling that we are indeed doing some good over there I will be surprised. It's too bad that books like this one which show the good side of a man, and of America will not get the readership, will not get the reviews in the New York Times that would make it a best seller.

The lost art of letter writing

In the age of email and instant messaging, it is rare to find a lengthy, well-constructed letter. This book is a collection of such letters in which the reader can see the author's thoughts and emotional responses to the events of the Iraq war he is experiencing. He takes on the grim scenes of the war wounded seriously, but takes every chance to inject a sense of humor into the absurdities of military life. It is a quick little read, but a pure stream of honesty from one man coping with the unexpected in war. Highly recommended.

The Highs and Lows of Life in a Deployed Military Hospital

This book is made up of letters from an Air Force surgeon home to his family and friends. Dr. Coppola writes about everything about life on a base in Iraq, from the food to the comraderie to the bathrooms! Of course, he also writes very movingly about the many patients treated by his team, those that survived as well as the ones who didn't make it home. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the war and/or medicine. A truly fascinating memoir!