For more than twenty-five years, David Nott has taken unpaid leave from his job as an NHS surgeon to volunteer in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones - Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur, Congo, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Gaza and Syria - and areas blighted by natural disasters, such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal.

The thrill of placing himself in dangerous situations has sustained him all this time, he admits, and his vast experience has led to him being widely acknowledged as the most experienced trauma surgeon in the world.

Utimately he realised that it wasn't enough to attend catastrophes and then return home. So he set up a foundation sharing his knowledge and equipping doctors with the expertise they need in dealing with the aftermath of war.

David Nott writes with great warmth, compassion and humility, and the passion and commitment he has for his work is infectious. This is an astronishing life and a fascinating book.