The Physician

By Noah Gordon

Book Overview

Read by millions in thirty-two countries, soon to be a major motion picture, and voted "one of the ten most-beloved books of all time," here is the first English-language digital edition of Noah Gordon's masterwork In eleventh-century London, a child holds the hand of his dying mother and is terrified, aware something is taking her. Orphaned and given to an itinerant barber-surgeon, Rob Cole becomes a fast-talking swindler, peddling a worthless medicine. But as he matures, his strange gift-an acute sensitivity to impending death-never leaves him, and he yearns to become a healer. Arab madrassas are the only authentic medical schools, and he makes his perilous way to Persia. Christians are barred from Muslim schools, but claiming he is a Jew, he studies under the world's most renowned physician, Avicenna. How the woman who is his great love struggles against her only rival-medicine-makes a riveting modern classic. "Gordon's compelling novel recreates the 11th century so powerfully that the reader is propelled through its several hundred pages by a tidal wave of imagination and authentic detail." -Publishers Weekly "Populated by engaging characters, rich in incident and vivid in historical detail, [The Physician] is a pleasure." -The New York Times "[The Physician] has the flavor of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, but with a deeper character development and story arc . . . . An insightful and unforgettable read." -Zoltaire's Blog "An adventurous and inspiring tale of a quest for medical knowledge pursued in a violent world full of superstition and prejudice." -Library Journal Noah Gordon has had outstanding international success. The Physician, soon to be a motion picture, has been called a modern classic, and booksellers at the Madrid Book Fair voted it "one of the 10 best-loved books of all time." Shaman was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for historical fiction. Both of these books, and five of the author's other novels-The Rabbi, The Death Committee, The Jerusalem Diamond, Matters of Choice, and The Winemaker-are published in digital formats by Barcelona eBooks and Open Road Integrated Media. Gordon's novel, The Last Jew, will also be published digitally in the near future. He lives outside of Boston with his wife, Lorraine Gordon.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1453271104
• ISBN13: 9781453271100
• Release Date: September 2012
• Publisher: Barcelona Editions
• Length: 768 Pages
• Weight: 2.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent historical fiction!

Absolutely wonderful! Have already given it to two friends to read, and they loved it also!

The best novel

The Physican is probably the best historical novel I've read. Noah Gordon is a superb writer. In fact, I've reread it and even enjoyed it more the second time. I've read everything that Noah Gordon has written. The same accolades go for all his novels! Read and enjoy!

Couldn't put it down!!!

I read this book 13 years ago and it still ranks with me as one of the best books I have ever read. You will feel as if you are in the locals as this book travels across continents. I found myself reading this book when ever I could find time. This would make a great motion picture. Enjoy!! You will not be disappointed.

Una gran lectura para todo médico o estudiante de medicina!!

El Médico es sin duda uno de los libros para todo aquél que se inicia en ese largo viaje de la carrera médica. Nos relata la historia de Robert Cole, un inglés en la edad media, quien descubre un enorme don, y ese don le impulsa a la vocación poderosa de luchar contra la enfermedad, encontrando las respuestas que necesita en ese fiero y arduo combate. La búsqueda de las respuestas lo lleva en un fascinante viaje hasta el medio Oriente en donde se encuentra con el "principe" de la medicina y uno de sus padres: Avicena. Una obra bella no solo por la enorme cantidad de mensajes que tocan la conciencia de todo sanador, si no también por su ambientación temporal y geográfica, las cuales Noah Gordon ha tenido el tino de cuidar hasta en sus más pequeños detalles. Es un libro que definitivamente está destinado a influir mucho en quien lo lee.

A Time Piece

Kudos to Mr. Gordon. He takes the reader back and shows us all the Y1K problems faced as urban sprawl meant something different than SUV's and the erosion of the ozone layer. Gordon paints a vivid picture of life in England at the turn of the last millenium. He than transports us to the mytic cities of the Near East and shows us medicine in its infancy. As a physician, I was spellbound by a history too often not taught. The lessons in religious tolerance and intolerance thrown in along the way were a bonus. A solid read for any history buff. Something all physicians can learn from. High marks for volume I of the Rob J trilogy.

a really really passionate book

Ok, I read this book like 2 times---with 2 years between each read. I like it better each time. It's great. You can totally feel his loneliness...maybe that is the motivation that drives him to be the physician that he's destined to be. I think that if you like adventures of different places set in times of old..then this book will be very enjoyable. Also, I like how multicultural the book is..it talks and revels in all kinds of culture, touching on gaelic with emphasis on jewish and arabic cultures...it's certainly an interesting, insightful read.