When the first machine gun rang out over the Western Front, one thing was clear: mankind's military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities. In this "heartbreaking and inspiring" account (Wall Street Journal), Lindsey Fitzharris profiles pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, who established one of the first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction. Exploring Gillies's ingenious surgical innovations, Fitzharris also tells the dramatic stories of soldiers whose lives were wrecked and repaired. "Riveting…. As Fitzharris shows us, the scalpel is mightier than the grenade, and the pen is mightiest of all. What a triumph this book is."—Mary Roach