Read by Henry Marsh

This program is read by the author. "As a mature observer of the human condition, Marsh has audible serenity that makes listeners curious about how his story ends." - AudioFile Magazine From the bestselling neurosurgeon and author of Do No Harm, comes Henry Marsh's And Finally, an unflinching and deeply personal exploration of death, life and neuroscience. As a retired brain surgeon, Henry Marsh thought he understood illness, but he was unprepared for the impact of his diagnosis of advanced cancer. And Finally explores what happens when someone who has spent a lifetime on the frontline of life and death finds himself contemplating what might be his own death sentence. As he navigates the bewildering transition from doctor to patient, he is haunted by past failures and projects yet to be completed, and frustrated by the inconveniences of illness and old age. But he is also more entranced than ever by the mysteries of science and the brain, the beauty of the natural world and his love for his family. Elegiac, candid, luminous and poignant, And Finally is ultimately not so much an audiobook about death, but an audiobook about life and what matters in the end. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press. HENRY MARSH is a retired neurosurgeon and the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Do No Harm and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist Admissions. He has been the subject of two documentary films, Your Life in Their Hands, which won the Royal Television Society Gold Medal, and The English Surgeon, which won an Emmy. He lives in London and Oxford. Advance Praise for And Finally: "In the contemplation of death Marsh illuminates the gift of life, rendering it even more precious. And Finally has all the candour, elegance and revelation we've come to expect from Marsh. I read it straight through carried along by the force of its prose and the beauty of its ideas. It's a book to treasure and reread; I'm very grateful for it." -- Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human Being and Shapeshifters "In this superb meditation on life and death, Henry Marsh tackles the matter of mortality with all his trademark wit, wisdom, grace and humility. He turns his formidable intellect and scalpel-sharp prose on himself as well as the medical profession - with marvellous results. Unflinching, profound and deeply humane, And Finally is magnificent." -- Rachel Clarke, author of Dear Life "And Finally is a close and courageous look at the prospect of death by someone who has seen it more clearly and more often than most of us, and who writes with great fluency and grace. Henry Marsh is a great neurosurgeon: he is also a very fine writer. I admire this book enormously." -- Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials "{H}e's deeply reflective, the result is a bit like sitting in the pub with the smartest person you know." -- Leyla Sanai, The Spectator "It is an important message from a wise and warm narrator, and his book will bring comfort to many - and educate doctors (should any have time to read it)." -- Melanie Reid, The Times "In a beautifully written memoir, the surgeon reflects on his cancer diagnosis - and explains why you should exaggerate your pain to doctors. {…} The NHS might presently be in crisis, but that is an example of the great phlegmatic British spirit we can all be proud of." -- Steven Poole, The Telegraph "By sharing his findings, And Finally will no doubt prompt others to contemplate their own existence and, more importantly, recognise what is truly worth living for." -- Financial Times Praise for Do No Harm: "Like the work of his fellow physicians Jerome Groopman and Atul Gawande, Do No Harm offers insight into the life of doctors and the quandaries they face as we throw our outsize hopes into their fallible hands." --The Washington Post "Riveting. ... {Marsh} gives us an extraordinarily intimate, compas

Mode of access: World Wide Web