Description
Book SynopsisRestless, dynamic, conflicted, a surgeon, an artist, and a writer, Norman Bethune was an extraordinary Canadian. Brilliant, yet erratic, Bethune''s life was characterized by cycles of achievement and self-destruction and his adventurous spirit led him from the operating rooms of Montreal to the battlegrounds of Spain and China. In Phoenix: The Life of Norman Bethune Roderick and Sharon Stewart provide the intriguing details of Bethune''s controversial career as a surgeon, his turbulent personal life, his passionate crusade to eradicate tuberculosis, and his pioneering commitment to the establishment of medicare in Canada. They also examine the reasoning that led Bethune to embrace Marxism and show the depth of his faith in the triumph of communism over fascism - a commitment that drove him to take risk after risk and ultimately led to his death from an infection caught while performing battlefield surgery in remote northern China. Based on extensive research in Canada, Spain, and China
Trade Review"Phoenix is a much enriched version of Bethune's life - eminently readable and riveting." Andree Levesque, McGill University "The authors have taken great care to review all the new information that has come to light and present their findings in a balanced, and effective manner." Larry W. Stephenson, professor and chief of cardiothoracic surgery, Wayne State University "Phoenix will enable Canadians to understand how a son of the manse evolved into a grandfather of medical humanitarianism and how an outspoken and mercurial pariah became the most famous Canadian in history. Through their meticulous and unbiased research "At long last, the whole Bethune-flaws and contradictions intact, making the extraordinary accomplishments of this troubled and near tragic figure all the more remarkable to unravel. I was riveted, from beginning to end." Ken Gass, Artistic Director, Fac
