999 My Life on the Frontline of the ambulance service by Dan Farnworth

999 - My Life on the Frontline of the Ambulance Service by Dan Farnworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Dan Farnworth brings vividly to life his astonishing experiences as a medic working on the frontline of the UK Ambulance Service. When the 999 call goes out, he has little idea what he will find - and how he will cope with the challenges he faces when he gets there.

Having worked in the emergency services for more than fifteen years, Dan Farnworth has seen it all. There was the time he was called to take away a dead body - only for the 'corpse' to jolt back into life and demand to know what he was doing in her house. Earlier in his career, he unwittingly disturbed a crime scene as he shared the sad news of the victim's death with her son. Along with the 18,000 other paramedics in the UK who serve us day and night, Dan constantly finds himself pushed into extraordinary circumstances where he not only has to deal with those he has been sent to help, but also their worried families and friends - and even with irate drivers who object to his ambulance getting in their way as he desperately works to save someone's life.



My Review

I always think Joe Public should read these kind of true stories type books, have a bit of appreciation for the service and what the workers go through. This is Dan's story or rather stories, a paramedic who takes us through his career from starting out, during, to present day.

Emotive, shocking, horrific, sad. Farnworth takes us on a few of the callouts he has attended, some heartbreaking and how it impacted on him. How the job takes a toll on his personal life, his mental health and what he did as a result of that.

I would say this book has a more personal look, the actual affects on Farnworth himself, his personal life and a fair bit about him. Some of these books focus purely on the job and things they encounter, this has a bit more laid bare approach and a lot about the author himself. 4/5 for me this time, I do like reading true stories about other professionals, makes you appreciative to the services out there and the people who keep them going.



View all my reviews

Police, Crime & 999 by John Donoghue

Police, Crime & 999 by John Donoghue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off 3 days

Pages - 296

Publisher - Troubador Publishing

Blurb from Amazon

Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes in the police? What bizarre 999 calls are made to the emergency services? Why can wearing two pairs of socks make you a suspect? What is the link between police and vampires? Which Royal arrest never made news headlines? What covert sign do officers make when they no longer wish to talk to you? After successful careers in both the military and business, John Donoghue realised that the higher you get in any organisation, the less fun you have. So, after handing back his expense account and company car, he joined the police in search of excitement and thrills... and discovered some surprising answers to these puzzling questions. PC John Donoghue reveals all in his fascinating and hilarious true account of a year in the life of a front line response officer. Names and places have been changed to protect the guilty... but if you call the police, maybe, just maybe, it could be Police Constable John Donoghue turning up at your door. This book will appeal to anyone interested in crime and police, as well as fans of autobiographies and humour.



My Review

In this book, PC John Donoghue gives a hillarious, un pc and dare I say it, shocking insight into what life as a policeman and dealing with the public is actually like. True stories in relatively short bite chapters at different criminals, situations and mishaps he has experienced and how he has handled them with his fellow officers.

I do love a book that has real life encounters with members of society, especially those from different walks of life. Truth can always be far stranger than fiction and Donoghue gives us a small glimpse at some of lifes colourful characters.

There are quite a few laugh out loud tales in the book that some people will think are made up because people just don't do things like that, they really do and some will leave your jaw hanging! There will be a minority of folk who may find one or two turns of phrases to be offensive or possibly even judgmental, however if you read the book as it was intended you will see it for what it is. There is no denying how hard a serving officers job must be and humor is sometimes the only thing you have to get you through the horrors and reality that is some people's life. So when you pick up this book, keep that in mind and I am sure you will love it.

Funny, witty, well written and in chapters that aren't to lengthy that if you have a busy life you can easily dip in and out. I think Donoghue would be hilarious to watch on a stage doing a book tour, the hilarity just jumps off the page and I did burst out laughing once or twice so maybe not a book for public transport reading.

This is my first dance with this author, I would certainly read him again and he does have at least one more book like this if not more. A look at how different some folk live laced with humor and the dark reality that is some folks actual lives. Thanks to Crime Book Club for introducing me to a new author and Donoghue himself for providing a copy for review. As always, all views are my own, available to buy from Amazon in paperback or kindle, 4/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews