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Blood, Sweat & Tea
A beautifully written insight into the stresses, strains and successes of working for the London Ambulance service. Is there anyone who hasn't wondered about the state of the occupant of an ambulance, screaming along with its sirens on and blue lights flashing? Have you? And have you wondered about the other people inside the ambulance, maybe fighting to save the patient's life? Or have you considered that the ambulance may be another 'maternataxi' ordered by a woman who can't be bothered to book a real cab and who then complains she can't smoke on the way to hospital? And that the medical technician inside might just be desperate to get back home from a busy shift, to have a cup of tea and catch up with his blog? Meet Tom Reynolds. Tom is an Emergency Medical Technician who works for the London Ambulance Service in East London. He has kept a blog of his daily working life since 2003 and his award-winning writing is, by turn, moving, cynical, funny, heart-rending and compassionate. It is never less than compelling. From the tragic to the hilarious, from the heartwarming to the terrifying, the stories Tom tells give a fascinating - and at times alarming - picture of life in inner-city Britain, and the people who are paid to mop up after it. (Large Print Edition)
326 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2006
110 people are currently reading
1,440 people want to read
About the author
Tom Reynolds
42Ìýbooks32ÌýfollowersTom Reynolds is the pseudonym of Brian Kellett, an emergency medical technician for the London Ambulance Service, England, whose award winning blog, Random Acts of Reality, has been published in two books, Blood, Sweat & Tea in 2006 and More Blood, More Sweat & Another Cup of Tea in 2009. His career in the NHS started at the age of 23 when he worked as an Accident and Emergency nurse. Since beginning his blog he has been interviewed in newspapers, television and radio; and now provides opinion pieces on medical care in some UK newspapers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
July 2, 2014
I expected a bit more than very short, very repetitive and frankly very depressing 'blog' posts dressed up for "publication" as "A beautifully written insight into the stresses, strains and successes of working for the London Ambulance service."
Don't believe the blurb.
The writer seems to hate everyone and everything; religion, fat people, drunks, suicides, the elderly, the young, the illiterate, the incontinent, the dead, alcoholics, drug addicts, non-English speakers, drivers who don't get out of his way fast enough, charge nurses, administrators, people who have mental problems - everyone. He comes across as arrogant, uncaring, bigoted and totally unprofessional. He takes pleasure in mocking the unfortunate, and continually whines about his job to the extent that I abandoned this and deleted it from my Kindle account.
As for this comment - words fail me:
... but that the counsellor was wearing a sari (the Indian dress). In and of itself not unusual, except that the woman wearing it was 'whiter' than me.
I'm well used to 'white' women wearing various Muslim dresses - it's a religion after all, but as far as I am aware a sari is a cultural thing. I'm guessing that in her 'equal-opportunities, worthy, multi-cultural' world that she is proving how non-racist she is. This is handy because to be honest out of the 20 or more people at the clinic I was in a race/culture minority of one..... I've tried as hard as possible to make this sound as non-racist as possible - at no point have I meant to cause offence. I hate no 'race' more than another - I hate them all. (So why the hell is he complaining that he is in a minority if he hates ALL races?? And how DARE he 'assume' that a woman who is 'whiter' than he is - and boy does that sound racist- is not of the Indian culture, or perfectly entitled to wear one?)
My god. If that isn't offensive I don't know what is. I cannot believe that in this day and age, someone is allowed to get away with posting that in a book.
Please, don't let me ever need an ambulance in London.
Don't believe the blurb.
The writer seems to hate everyone and everything; religion, fat people, drunks, suicides, the elderly, the young, the illiterate, the incontinent, the dead, alcoholics, drug addicts, non-English speakers, drivers who don't get out of his way fast enough, charge nurses, administrators, people who have mental problems - everyone. He comes across as arrogant, uncaring, bigoted and totally unprofessional. He takes pleasure in mocking the unfortunate, and continually whines about his job to the extent that I abandoned this and deleted it from my Kindle account.
As for this comment - words fail me:
... but that the counsellor was wearing a sari (the Indian dress). In and of itself not unusual, except that the woman wearing it was 'whiter' than me.
I'm well used to 'white' women wearing various Muslim dresses - it's a religion after all, but as far as I am aware a sari is a cultural thing. I'm guessing that in her 'equal-opportunities, worthy, multi-cultural' world that she is proving how non-racist she is. This is handy because to be honest out of the 20 or more people at the clinic I was in a race/culture minority of one..... I've tried as hard as possible to make this sound as non-racist as possible - at no point have I meant to cause offence. I hate no 'race' more than another - I hate them all. (So why the hell is he complaining that he is in a minority if he hates ALL races?? And how DARE he 'assume' that a woman who is 'whiter' than he is - and boy does that sound racist- is not of the Indian culture, or perfectly entitled to wear one?)
My god. If that isn't offensive I don't know what is. I cannot believe that in this day and age, someone is allowed to get away with posting that in a book.
Please, don't let me ever need an ambulance in London.
December 25, 2017
Blood, Sweat, and Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance Review
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
Blog Posts: 5 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed this book because I really learned how it is to work on an ambulance (in London). There are so many things that EMS people need to do that it's crazy. I was also happy that I was able to understand a lot of the medical terms. I've always been interested in the medical field. I felt really bad for the older people in this novel. As I've learned most of the nursing homes didn't completely treat them right. It was really hard to see. All people should be taken care of when they aren't able to care for themselves.
At one point in the story I was really worried for Brian Kellet. He ended up swallowing HIV positive blood. I was happy to learn that he didn't get HIV.
There were other scary situations that most EMS people have to deal with. It's nice to read about the police, EMT's, and firefighters working together.
All in all I enjoyed this book!
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
Blog Posts: 5 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed this book because I really learned how it is to work on an ambulance (in London). There are so many things that EMS people need to do that it's crazy. I was also happy that I was able to understand a lot of the medical terms. I've always been interested in the medical field. I felt really bad for the older people in this novel. As I've learned most of the nursing homes didn't completely treat them right. It was really hard to see. All people should be taken care of when they aren't able to care for themselves.
At one point in the story I was really worried for Brian Kellet. He ended up swallowing HIV positive blood. I was happy to learn that he didn't get HIV.
There were other scary situations that most EMS people have to deal with. It's nice to read about the police, EMT's, and firefighters working together.
All in all I enjoyed this book!
July 2, 2018
There was plenty to enjoy about this - a fast and sometimes interesting account of a London ambulance EMT - and the author writes with a refreshing immediacy due to the format in which this was first written (an online blog). At times though I wanted a little more depth and a little more medical content - it did become slightly one dimensional by the end with all the timewasters, drunks, junkies and chancers.. it left me a little sad at the impact on the NHS of so much that is avoidable. It was a quick read and I appreciate it would have worked better in small doses.. perhaps I couldn't escape the suspicion that fewer chapters in greater detail would've made for (imho) a more fulfilling read. Still, it was a good insight into the profession and was written with some intelligent points made.
June 11, 2016
interesting, funny blog/book detailing the working of a London Ambulance worker as he blogs about his work and cases. some of the cases you just have to laugh out loud at how stupid people can be.
December 2, 2016
This was an interesting book about someone who is an EMT in the United Kingdom. Prior to this, I had no clue the author had a blog and the book was basically his blog in published form. Due to this, the stories were for the most part very short, some not even taking up an entire page, which occasionally left you wanting more information about the incident. Other than that it was a very interesting book, especially since I have family who works in the medical field or as EMT's and I enjoy listening to the stories they can tell about various patients.
November 6, 2010
Disappointing. Reading this book reminds me why I stopped reading his blog. NHS employees - LAS included - are not paid to be judgemental, but Mr Kellett apparently missed that directive. It's one thing to hold such negative views about, for example, somebody with alcoholism, but it's another thing entirely to blog and then ultimately publish them. Disgraceful and unprofessional.
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June 21, 2024DNF
January 22, 2021
Literally my third time I've read this book, I love confessions of a... this is full of funny, sad and downright strange stories. Liked how it was his blog posts that were published, everything was written within minutes or hours of his shifts without holding back writing his experiences as they were fresh. Will be definitely reading blood sweat and more tea....again for the 3rd time 😉🤓
August 17, 2011
(3.5 / 5)
This was an easy, and fascinating, read about the life of an ambulance officer in inner-city London. Although I knew it was excerpts from the author's blog going in, I have to admit it was the format of the book that ended up letting it down.
Although little comments are made here and there (usually added to the end of entries) about how a certain story ended up, there is very little context and I still came away feeling I knew very little about the author. What was his personal life like, being affected by his job? What drove him to become an ambulance officer? Little details like this would have made the book richer.
My personal opinion is that reading a blog and reading a book are two entirely different things altogether. We expect more coherence from a book - at least a little more work in tying together these disparate entries and making the 'story' of the author's life a little less fragmented.
I will still be buying the second volume, however. But as a side note, I must also add that at times I found Reynolds particularly insensitive and judgemental about various people, like alcoholics. I know that working in his industry he must get tired of seeing people 'drink their lives away' while other people have their lives snuffed out in an instant, but it's not an either/or situation. Addiction is also an illness.
This was an easy, and fascinating, read about the life of an ambulance officer in inner-city London. Although I knew it was excerpts from the author's blog going in, I have to admit it was the format of the book that ended up letting it down.
Although little comments are made here and there (usually added to the end of entries) about how a certain story ended up, there is very little context and I still came away feeling I knew very little about the author. What was his personal life like, being affected by his job? What drove him to become an ambulance officer? Little details like this would have made the book richer.
My personal opinion is that reading a blog and reading a book are two entirely different things altogether. We expect more coherence from a book - at least a little more work in tying together these disparate entries and making the 'story' of the author's life a little less fragmented.
I will still be buying the second volume, however. But as a side note, I must also add that at times I found Reynolds particularly insensitive and judgemental about various people, like alcoholics. I know that working in his industry he must get tired of seeing people 'drink their lives away' while other people have their lives snuffed out in an instant, but it's not an either/or situation. Addiction is also an illness.
August 19, 2014
I will start by pointing out something that wasn't clear when I got this book - it's a series of blog posts collated together into a book rather than the 'normal' book I was expecting.
I will admit that this does give a good insight into the life of a paramedic but I spent a good proportion of the book wanting to give the author a serious shaking.
He comes across as incredibly arrogant and unprofessional, making comments about the patients he sees which would be inappropriate within a conversation between crews, let alone published for the whole world to see.
While quite a bit of what he wrote made me see red, there was one bit in particular which had my blood boiling instantly. At one point, after describing the death of an infant, he implies that people who are affected by the death of a patient, are weak. That is as far from the truth as possible and will make people feel horrendous if they are affected by something. So, as an aside to the review, please note.... if you experience something like that which affects you, it doesn't matter what it is, you are NOT weak for feeling that way.
Sorry. I'm going to end the review there as otherwise it will probably turn into the rant. In summary, it's a good idea as to what people in the pre-hospital care environment deal with but most are much more professional than this author.
I will admit that this does give a good insight into the life of a paramedic but I spent a good proportion of the book wanting to give the author a serious shaking.
He comes across as incredibly arrogant and unprofessional, making comments about the patients he sees which would be inappropriate within a conversation between crews, let alone published for the whole world to see.
While quite a bit of what he wrote made me see red, there was one bit in particular which had my blood boiling instantly. At one point, after describing the death of an infant, he implies that people who are affected by the death of a patient, are weak. That is as far from the truth as possible and will make people feel horrendous if they are affected by something. So, as an aside to the review, please note.... if you experience something like that which affects you, it doesn't matter what it is, you are NOT weak for feeling that way.
Sorry. I'm going to end the review there as otherwise it will probably turn into the rant. In summary, it's a good idea as to what people in the pre-hospital care environment deal with but most are much more professional than this author.
January 5, 2011
Great book, better than expected! I found out there is a second book which I plan on acquiring. This book was a whole range of emotions - like riding a roller coaster - or perhaps just like taking a ride in the back of an ambulance while going over several speed bumps. It was at times touching and heartfelt, other times maddening, you can't help but get into it and there were some stories that I was laughing so hard I was crying. All in all, it was a satisfying ride and read and I'm glad I took the time to read it. The author has a real way with words and being able to summarize a story in a way that is with just enough suspense to keep you interested.
Really made me a fan of the London Ambulance Service, and all the EMTs out there for the work they do and all they have to deal with every single day!
Really made me a fan of the London Ambulance Service, and all the EMTs out there for the work they do and all they have to deal with every single day!
November 6, 2014
Couldn't get past the first few pages. I appreciate this guy has a difficult job but I have never read such negative drivel in my life which also managed to be offensive towards several groups of people already before I put it down. No thanks.
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June 7, 2022Just 24 hours working in an inner-city ambulance would probably give a person enough spectacular and/or terrifying experiences to last a lifetime.
To do it everyday - and to do it with the grace, assurance and oodles of wit that Reynolds has? That's herculean.
I loved completely immersing myself into Reynolds' life. His quirky anecdotes, his jokes, his fears, his observations about his job and the people around him were a refreshing call-back to the era of Internet blogs, and I found myself completely incapable of putting the book down till it was done. A lovely read.
To do it everyday - and to do it with the grace, assurance and oodles of wit that Reynolds has? That's herculean.
I loved completely immersing myself into Reynolds' life. His quirky anecdotes, his jokes, his fears, his observations about his job and the people around him were a refreshing call-back to the era of Internet blogs, and I found myself completely incapable of putting the book down till it was done. A lovely read.
June 28, 2023
Finally got around to finishing this. An interesting close up look at what it's like working for the London Ambulance Service, covering a variety of incidents, problems and anecdotes - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Originally written as a series of blog posts, the format offers lots of often unconnected short snippets, which works a lot better as an actual blog rather than in book form.
April 7, 2020
Something which started out as a blog, is now an entertaining story of work on the front line. At times sad at times funny, yet always reassuring to know, there someone to help us when we are in the most desperate need.
December 30, 2018
Easy to read, but will make you despair of the human race, if you don't already.
March 31, 2017
[Written on mobile, apologies for any mistakes]
I read Blood, Sweat and Tea back in 2012, two years after the second book in the series came out. I recently came across it again on the Kindle Store, and unfortunately it's no longer free, but I remembered everything I loved about this book.
Blood, Sweat and Tea is a book from paramedic Tom Reynolds, going into detail about some of the patients he has seen over the years as an ambulance paramedic. He covers the pains paramedics have to go through (like people getting annoyed at an ambulance loading a patient inside because they can't get by) and some of the funniest patients he's ever had.
I still remember my favourite patient: Some of the patients that Reynolds has seen over the years are somewhat hilarious and I still feel a bit bad having a chuckle. Some of the stories in this made me cry, so much I had to put my Kindle down and take a moment to calm down.
Reynolds' writing is simple, and it's not the best, but it still gripped me. I've always been raised in a medical household, with a Father who's a radiographer and a sister who's a PA, so reading this was at a few points a tiny bit boring. Reynolds keeps his writing medical, but also simplifies it at times so everyone can understand it. As someone who knows these things, it does irk me, but I won't mark it down for that. The reasons for that are because I understand that not everyone who reads this is going to understand it and I actually learned a lot of things from this. I learned a lot that could potentially be used to help save someone's life.
I heavily recommend this book to anyone who likes medical non fiction or fiction. This can easily be read as a fictional story. It's wonderful and it's been one of my favourite books for so long now. A definite five out of five from me.
I read Blood, Sweat and Tea back in 2012, two years after the second book in the series came out. I recently came across it again on the Kindle Store, and unfortunately it's no longer free, but I remembered everything I loved about this book.
Blood, Sweat and Tea is a book from paramedic Tom Reynolds, going into detail about some of the patients he has seen over the years as an ambulance paramedic. He covers the pains paramedics have to go through (like people getting annoyed at an ambulance loading a patient inside because they can't get by) and some of the funniest patients he's ever had.
I still remember my favourite patient: Some of the patients that Reynolds has seen over the years are somewhat hilarious and I still feel a bit bad having a chuckle. Some of the stories in this made me cry, so much I had to put my Kindle down and take a moment to calm down.
Reynolds' writing is simple, and it's not the best, but it still gripped me. I've always been raised in a medical household, with a Father who's a radiographer and a sister who's a PA, so reading this was at a few points a tiny bit boring. Reynolds keeps his writing medical, but also simplifies it at times so everyone can understand it. As someone who knows these things, it does irk me, but I won't mark it down for that. The reasons for that are because I understand that not everyone who reads this is going to understand it and I actually learned a lot of things from this. I learned a lot that could potentially be used to help save someone's life.
I heavily recommend this book to anyone who likes medical non fiction or fiction. This can easily be read as a fictional story. It's wonderful and it's been one of my favourite books for so long now. A definite five out of five from me.
June 15, 2015
I've been wanting to read this book for years. It was the basis for one of my favourite TV shows of all time (Channel 4's Sirens), and also one of my guilty pleasures (the bawdy US version) and I'd been meaning to pick the book up ever since I got addicted to the adaptations. I never quite got around to it, though. What can I say? I'm stingy.
You can imagine, then, that when I was trawling Amazon for free e-books to make up the figures on my 2015 Reading Challenge and saw that this particular book was among them, I was somewhat excited.
In hindsight, I probably went into it with my expectations raised too high. Simply put, this book just doesn't match up to what I was hoping for.
Firstly, it's based on a blog, which is fine. I knew that. However, I hadn't expected that it would literally just be copied and pasted from the blog, spelling and grammatical errors included. If I'm reading a blog, then I can deal with people using 'it's' where they mean 'its'. If I'm reading a book, however, then I expect some discerning editor to make the reading experience a little more fluid. It's just damn jarring to try and work around obvious mistakes.
Secondly, the constant repetition of the phrase 'I'm not racist, but ...' and 'I'm not racist - I hate everyone equally!' made me particularly glad that the writers of the TV adaptations had clearly not based their protagonists on the author of this book. He sounds like the kind of guy you'd see at a party and would lead you to beg your friend to please, dear god, let you sit at the other end of the table.
It really isn't all bad. There are some genuinely hilarious bits, as well as some actual human emotion, and I don't regret reading it. I'm just very glad that it was free.
You can imagine, then, that when I was trawling Amazon for free e-books to make up the figures on my 2015 Reading Challenge and saw that this particular book was among them, I was somewhat excited.
In hindsight, I probably went into it with my expectations raised too high. Simply put, this book just doesn't match up to what I was hoping for.
Firstly, it's based on a blog, which is fine. I knew that. However, I hadn't expected that it would literally just be copied and pasted from the blog, spelling and grammatical errors included. If I'm reading a blog, then I can deal with people using 'it's' where they mean 'its'. If I'm reading a book, however, then I expect some discerning editor to make the reading experience a little more fluid. It's just damn jarring to try and work around obvious mistakes.
Secondly, the constant repetition of the phrase 'I'm not racist, but ...' and 'I'm not racist - I hate everyone equally!' made me particularly glad that the writers of the TV adaptations had clearly not based their protagonists on the author of this book. He sounds like the kind of guy you'd see at a party and would lead you to beg your friend to please, dear god, let you sit at the other end of the table.
It really isn't all bad. There are some genuinely hilarious bits, as well as some actual human emotion, and I don't regret reading it. I'm just very glad that it was free.
August 17, 2013
A book put together from Tom Reynold's blog where he writes as a London Ambulance Operative. The entries are fairly short which makes this quite and easy read and you really get a feel for the kind of work that they do. I do sometimes think he may well be holding back a little as there is a section where he explains the rules of bloging if you are bloging about your work. It seems many people use the ambulance service as a materna-taxi or for picking up alcoholics from the streets. Some people really need some lessons on what constitutes an emergency.
What I found interesting was if they arrive at the call in 9 minutes and save the patient the government class it as a 'fail' because they did not arrive in 9 minutes, however if they get their in 5 but the patient dies the government records it as a success as they got there in 5 minutes. As someone who works in education and it seems obsessed with league tables and results I can really relate to the frustration the various ambulance services around the country must feel - especially as the reason you arrived in 9 minutes rather than 7 was some pillock who pulled out in front of you when you had sirens wailing and were driving at 50mph. I can also understand their frustrations when they meet this target and to some extent put other road users at risk by rushing and when they get there they find another drunk!
A very entertaining and one I would recommend on the basis of reading something a bit different and finding out about a different career to your own - or the same if that is your job and perhaps seeing how it compares?
What I found interesting was if they arrive at the call in 9 minutes and save the patient the government class it as a 'fail' because they did not arrive in 9 minutes, however if they get their in 5 but the patient dies the government records it as a success as they got there in 5 minutes. As someone who works in education and it seems obsessed with league tables and results I can really relate to the frustration the various ambulance services around the country must feel - especially as the reason you arrived in 9 minutes rather than 7 was some pillock who pulled out in front of you when you had sirens wailing and were driving at 50mph. I can also understand their frustrations when they meet this target and to some extent put other road users at risk by rushing and when they get there they find another drunk!
A very entertaining and one I would recommend on the basis of reading something a bit different and finding out about a different career to your own - or the same if that is your job and perhaps seeing how it compares?
December 7, 2012
A quick, entertaining book, made fun to read thanks to the writer's conversational tone. BLOOD, SWEAT & TEA is a series of blog posts about daily life for a paramedic working in London, condensed into book format and with some additional commentary added in, in a bid to tell a wider story.
The good stuff: you learn a lot about what this kind of job entails. There's a huge variety of jobs, from encounters with puking alcoholics to deathly ill children and much more besides. Understandably, Reynolds has a good sense of humour (probably the most important thing in this job) so that even some of the darker episodes are rather amusing. Elsewhere, there are some fairly graphic bits and other hard-hitting details: sugar-coated this isn't.
The bad stuff: there's little background or insight behind the stories. They're kept short and anecdotal, mostly composed of description with a few humorous comments thrown into the mix. But we never learn much about what makes Reynolds tick or why he chose this particular career path. The nature of the work also means that the book does get slightly repetitive at times, despite the author's best efforts to avoid this.
It's a fast read, one you can polish off in a couple of sittings and highly readable with it, but it lacks the 'something' required to make it truly memorable.
The good stuff: you learn a lot about what this kind of job entails. There's a huge variety of jobs, from encounters with puking alcoholics to deathly ill children and much more besides. Understandably, Reynolds has a good sense of humour (probably the most important thing in this job) so that even some of the darker episodes are rather amusing. Elsewhere, there are some fairly graphic bits and other hard-hitting details: sugar-coated this isn't.
The bad stuff: there's little background or insight behind the stories. They're kept short and anecdotal, mostly composed of description with a few humorous comments thrown into the mix. But we never learn much about what makes Reynolds tick or why he chose this particular career path. The nature of the work also means that the book does get slightly repetitive at times, despite the author's best efforts to avoid this.
It's a fast read, one you can polish off in a couple of sittings and highly readable with it, but it lacks the 'something' required to make it truly memorable.
November 12, 2010
This was quite an enjoyable quick read. I'm a regular blog reader, so I actively appreciate the format of blog entries, which made this easy to swallow. I'd never read this blog before, but I can see why it had/has? a huge readership. The writer is good at making readers see just how working as a emergency services worker is. And seeing as I know nothing about it, I thought it was a good introduction--and not too gory, either.[return][return]I think there is something here, too, that is universal. Most people can instinctively understand normal work woes, and those are also presented here--office politics, as it were, in the ambulance bay. Who doesn't have to deal with that? It made the writer pretty likable. [return][return]I'm definitely not unhappy that I spent time reading this book, and I'd recommend it to someone who likes blogs and/or medical-type reads.
December 15, 2010
Tom Reynolds is the pseudonym of a London paramedic who blogs about his job. Blood, Sweat & Tea is a lightly edited collection of blog entries and is a very interesting and often entertaining read. This volume includes entries around the time of the 7 July 2005 bombings although the author wasn't involved onsite.
Being a blog collection, it's a quick and very easy read of short chunks, and provides a genuine insight into the role of a frontline emergency worker. It will probably reinforce your belief in human nature for better or worse!
As a bonus, the book is free to download on Kindle and this loss leader approach has worked on me - I bought the second volume .
Being a blog collection, it's a quick and very easy read of short chunks, and provides a genuine insight into the role of a frontline emergency worker. It will probably reinforce your belief in human nature for better or worse!
As a bonus, the book is free to download on Kindle and this loss leader approach has worked on me - I bought the second volume .
November 21, 2010
Cheeky ambulance chappy writes a popular blog and it appears in print. I enjoyed this as it was a view into a different but “ordinary� life. Although there wasn’t much personal stuff here, apart from the odd aside about the lack of a romantic liason or two, an impression was still given of the blogger that you could warm to. His caring outlook was evident in many of the postings, that and the fact that he really wanted to provide a service. Unfortunately he often found himself providing the wrong type of service to time-wasters, hypochondriacs and, overwhelmingly, alcoholics. I saw yesterday that he has a second book out, but I doubt I’ll rush to buy it because, in the end, his routine became just that: routine. He needs to spice it up a bit to keep it going.
September 23, 2011
I love, love, love, love, love, love, LOVED this book.
I'm in the health field so this is right up my alley to begin with. Add in the fact that the guy is British, and writes in the typical British language manner (ex: bloody hell, knackered, ect) which I am a sucker for and this was a damn good book.
I can't wait until my next paycheck so I can get for my Nook.
Apparently in addition to this book being based on a blog, which unfortunately, he has moved on from...it's now the basis for a UK TV show, which I hope Netflix gets soon!
I'm in the health field so this is right up my alley to begin with. Add in the fact that the guy is British, and writes in the typical British language manner (ex: bloody hell, knackered, ect) which I am a sucker for and this was a damn good book.
I can't wait until my next paycheck so I can get for my Nook.
Apparently in addition to this book being based on a blog, which unfortunately, he has moved on from...it's now the basis for a UK TV show, which I hope Netflix gets soon!
October 19, 2013
I thought this was a highly entertaining and humorous yet quite emotional and poignant look at the life if a British paramedic. Tom Reynolds (Brian Kellett) wrote a blog about his experiences as a London paramedic. This book is a selection of his blog posts.
Reading this really has opened my eyes to the reality of what these people go through on a daily basis, just as part of their jobs. I personally can't speak highly enough of the paramedics that I've encountered recently, (my partner is having severe health issues and we've been regular users of the West Yorkshire ambulance service). These people do a wonderful job, every single day, saving lives and preventing further calamities. To me, they are the unsung heroes of an accident and emergency experience.
Reading this really has opened my eyes to the reality of what these people go through on a daily basis, just as part of their jobs. I personally can't speak highly enough of the paramedics that I've encountered recently, (my partner is having severe health issues and we've been regular users of the West Yorkshire ambulance service). These people do a wonderful job, every single day, saving lives and preventing further calamities. To me, they are the unsung heroes of an accident and emergency experience.
March 21, 2012
The author wrote this book based on his blog. I have to say I have enjoyed reading it, is about his career with the LAS (London Ambulance Service), and what he encounters on his shifts on a day to day basis, also his own health, there are many laughs, squirming sessions and angry parts to be read, not at the author but at what the general public pub the ambulance services through on a daily basis.
Please take time to read both of Tom Reynolds books, based on his career and blog, if you are love your casualty and Holby city, love to sit down and watch scrubs or ER, you will love the real life version and less of the drama.
Please take time to read both of Tom Reynolds books, based on his career and blog, if you are love your casualty and Holby city, love to sit down and watch scrubs or ER, you will love the real life version and less of the drama.
December 20, 2017
A really interesting and, i suspect, accurate look into the London Ambulance Service. The book is a selection of Reynolds blog posts, so some of them can be a bit samey. However i found three stories to generally be a good balance of humour (albeit dark and misanthropic) to weigh out the inevitable sadness that comes in a book about a profession that deals with sick people and the dying. I was particularly fascinated by the section on the 7/7 bombings, as it gave a view into a side of the story that had been slightly ignored.
my only complaint about this book is the representativeness, but it can't be too bad as I've already picked up the sequel.
my only complaint about this book is the representativeness, but it can't be too bad as I've already picked up the sequel.
May 31, 2009
Tom Reynolds is a pseudonym for a current employee of the London Ambulance Service. This is the published version of his blog which details some of the more interesting or unusual aspects of his job. Reading this you despair at the levels of 'insanity' running through British society. At times funny, others sad or poignant and sometimes downright bonkers, it's well worth reading even if you have no connection to the health service.
September 15, 2009
A very interesting look at the life of an EMT in London. Since the book is derived from the writer's blog, it has "short story" feel to it. The writer and editors did a good job turning the blog into a book. Tom Reynolds writing style is very descriptive and honest. He does a good job conveying the best and the worst of his profession. I'll have to pick up the sequel: "More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea".
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