Page 113 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 2023

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THE COMBAT DOCTOR
BY DR DAN PRONK PUBLISHED BY MACMILLAN RRP $36.99 in paperback ISBN 9781760988067
At the beginning of this book, Dan Pronk issues a warning that the book contains detailed descriptions of the application of battlefield
medicine, including on some patients who did not survive the ordeal, advising reader discretion, especially for veterans. Dan Pronk served on over one hundred combat missions in Afghanistan as a frontline special forces combat doctor, where the casualties he treated were his fellow SAS soldiers and commandos, local civilians and even the enemy. He did not initially set out to be a doctor, hoping instead to be a professional triathlete. It was his acceptance into the military scholarship scheme sponsoring medical students that was to change his life. What follows is a frank and revealing memoir
of the highs and lows of his military-medical career and the toll it took on his mental health and family life, not to mention the emotional highs and lows of being unable to save friends and comrades. Verdict: a fascinating insider’s account of what it takes to deliver medical care on the battlefield.
THE MIGHTY 747
AUSTRALIA’S QUEEN
OF THE SKIES
BY JIM EAMES
Published by Allen & Unwin RRP $32.99 in paperback ISBN 9781760877118
One of the world’s most iconic commercial aircraft, the Boeing 747’s Australian
story began with the Qantas decision in 1967 to overcome initial doubts and order four aircraft. From its first Qantas flight in 1971, the Boeing
747 flew millions of people to and from Australia. For many Australians, the 747 was their first experience of international travel. For Qantas, their introduction meant big investment in infrastructure to support maintenance at the airline’s Mascot headquarters. The introduction of the 747 proved
a watershed in aviation technology as well as in air travel affordability for the travelling public. Among its variants was the 747-400, which set a world distance record from London to Sydney. Nearly fifty years after its introduction, Qantas bid farewell to the 747 in 2020. Jim Eames’ deep dive into
the history of the 747 will please readers with an interest in Australian aviation and a nostalgia for a wonderful aeroplane now consigned to history.