Through Fire and Water

Extraordinary times require ordinary people. The story of surgeon Paul Houghton brings the past to life as we hear in his own voice the sights, smell and roar of sea battle on a warship in the second world war. One of the colourful characters of the Malta convoys, his life spanned most of the turbulent twentieth century. He knew two world wars, and saw surgery transformed by medical revolutions such as the discovery of antibiotics. His son Mark paints an intimate portrait of a bold, yet shy man who struggled to put his faith into practice - clumsy at home yet almost miraculous with a scalpel. The story unfolds of how a young man with a flaming temper changed to become the Royal Navy's first Fleet Surgeon. Through long years of danger and spiritual struggle, Paul went on the be a founding consultant for the NHS in Worcester, UK What were the roots of Pauls resilience in war and peace. 'An extraordinary story of faith, of medical affairs, and of the Royal Navy in wartime. ' Captain Peter Hore RN, naval historian.