A vivid account of war geography and mortality seen through a young doctor's letters from the European front, blending tragedy, humor, and irony with firsthand medical and human impressions.

Set against the Allied liberation of Nazi occupied Europe, Dr. William McDermott's vivid memoir offers a first hand glimpse of history through the eyes of young doctor, fresh from Harvard Medical School. Based on letters he wrote from the front to his young wife, Blanche, back home in Massachusetts, A Surgeon in Combat offers an original, compelling remembrance of war, one that turns over a number emotional cards, from tragedy and humor, to drama and irony. Complimented by his snapshots from this period-- some startling photographs taken at the time by the author--they give an immediacy to the narrative.