The People's Doctor: George Hatem and China's Revolution

Rating:
Summary: Making History--A Public Health Doctor in New China
Review: George Hatem was a the son of Lebonese Maronite Catholic immigrants to the East Coast of the United States. I want to say that his childhood was uneventful, but that would not really be accurate, because it is quite certain that his childhood had a tremendous influence on him, and was a big part of his decision to stay in China and give up his American citizenship. So let's put it this way: He was the son of immigrants. He tended to be picked on a bit while he was growing up. During his later grammar school years, he became unmanageable, and was placed in a reform school by his parents. He eventually went back to Lebanon for medical school. After medical school, he went to China, perhaps more out of curiosity than anything else, and that is where he stayed for the rest of his life. Now, I could spend quite a bit of time speculating on what elements of his childhood predisposed him toward rejecting the land of his birth and becoming a Chinese citizen. But I don't want to do that, because that is not what this book is about, and when it comes right down to it that is not what George Hatem was about. So I will leave you with the brief summary, and let you draw your own conclusions.

The world waited. World War II was over. The Japanese had been defeated, and the conflict between the Communists and the Guomindang was heating up. Nobody knew for sure who would come out on top. There were problems with both options. The Guomindang reeked with corruption. The Communists had some weaknesses in their organizational structure which allowed a few people at the top to wield too much power. One thing is certain: if the Communists had not come out on top, this story would probably not have happened. George Hatem was a good doctor. But there are lots of good doctors in the world. George Hatem's defining quality was not some sort of dazzling, unreal brilliance. He shined because he happened upon a society, a world, a system that really, really needed what he had to offer, and because, by temperament, he was essentially apolitical. But most of all, he had an uncanny knack for finding what he was good at, and sticking to it with a pertinacity which outshone all his peers.

Do men make history, or does history make the man? Nobody knows the answer to that question, but, when it comes to George Hatem, I would say that history made him. Definitely. The greatness of Hatem is that he took what history had made and used it to again make history. Dogged persistence, the ability to stick to his work and not put his nose in where it didn't belong, and the tireless pursuit of a goal which was of benefit to the masses-these were the traits that defined him as a person, and these are the traits that he used to define the way he would approach the monumental events happening around him.

While we are on the subject of history, let me say that history is the main reason I read this book. Of course, I always like a good story, and I liked this one. But the historical value of this book should not go without mention, because it is, in fact, my primary reason for reading it. Whatever his reasons for coming to China when he did, the fact is that George Hatem was quiet closely acquainted with all the major players of the Communist revolution in China, both among the Chinese, and among the expatriate community. He knew Mao well, he was always on good terms which Zhou Enlai. He was a close friend of Zhu De, Mao's general. He treated Anna Louise Strong for some time. He knew both Sydney Shapiro and Sydney Rittenberg quite well. Of course he was close to Edgar Snow, whose book, Red Star Over China is still the definitive chronicle of the Long March, and he was also a close personal friend of Rewi Alley.

I have told you what was important to me as I read this book. But I would be remiss if I did not at least touch on what was important to George Hatem. The two public health problems which consumed his time and passion throughout his life were venereal disease and leprosy. George Hatem at first horrified, then impressed his Chinese colleagues by his insistence on touching his leprosy patients. His treatment approach usually combined what he found to be the best balance between western and oriental medicine. And his work involved a lot of travel and necessitated living for extended periods of time under very adverse conditions.

One of the strengths of this book is its appeal, for different reasons, to a variety of people. This really is an excellent story, and a very useful addition to the history of the Communist revolution in China.

Rating:
Summary: Making History--A Public Health Doctor in New China
Review: George Hatem was a the son of Lebonese Maronite Catholic immigrants to the East Coast of the United States. I want to say that his childhood was uneventful, but that would not really be accurate, because it is quite certain that his childhood had a tremendous influence on him, and was a big part of his decision to stay in China and give up his American citizenship. So let's put it this way: He was the son of immigrants. He tended to be picked on a bit while he was growing up. During his later grammar school years, he became unmanageable, and was placed in a reform school by his parents. He eventually went back to Lebanon for medical school. After medical school, he went to China, perhaps more out of curiosity than anything else, and that is where he stayed for the rest of his life. Now, I could spend quite a bit of time speculating on what elements of his childhood predisposed him toward rejecting the land of his birth and becoming a Chinese citizen. But I don't want to do that, because that is not what this book is about, and when it comes right down to it that is not what George Hatem was about. So I will leave you with the brief summary, and let you draw your own conclusions.

The world waited. World War II was over. The Japanese had been defeated, and the conflict between the Communists and the Guomindang was heating up. Nobody knew for sure who would come out on top. There were problems with both options. The Guomindang reeked with corruption. The Communists had some weaknesses in their organizational structure which allowed a few people at the top to wield too much power. One thing is certain: if the Communists had not come out on top, this story would probably not have happened. George Hatem was a good doctor. But there are lots of good doctors in the world. George Hatem's defining quality was not some sort of dazzling, unreal brilliance. He shined because he happened upon a society, a world, a system that really, really needed what he had to offer, and because, by temperament, he was essentially apolitical. But most of all, he had an uncanny knack for finding what he was good at, and sticking to it with a pertinacity which outshone all his peers.

Do men make history, or does history make the man? Nobody knows the answer to that question, but, when it comes to George Hatem, I would say that history made him. Definitely. The greatness of Hatem is that he took what history had made and used it to again make history. Dogged persistence, the ability to stick to his work and not put his nose in where it didn't belong, and the tireless pursuit of a goal which was of benefit to the masses-these were the traits that defined him as a person, and these are the traits that he used to define the way he would approach the monumental events happening around him.

While we are on the subject of history, let me say that history is the main reason I read this book. Of course, I always like a good story, and I liked this one. But the historical value of this book should not go without mention, because it is, in fact, my primary reason for reading it. Whatever his reasons for coming to China when he did, the fact is that George Hatem was quiet closely acquainted with all the major players of the Communist revolution in China, both among the Chinese, and among the expatriate community. He knew Mao well, he was always on good terms which Zhou Enlai. He was a close friend of Zhu De, Mao's general. He treated Anna Louise Strong for some time. He knew both Sydney Shapiro and Sydney Rittenberg quite well. Of course he was close to Edgar Snow, whose book, Red Star Over China is still the definitive chronicle of the Long March, and he was also a close personal friend of Rewi Alley.

I have told you what was important to me as I read this book. But I would be remiss if I did not at least touch on what was important to George Hatem. The two public health problems which consumed his time and passion throughout his life were venereal disease and leprosy. George Hatem at first horrified, then impressed his Chinese colleagues by his insistence on touching his leprosy patients. His treatment approach usually combined what he found to be the best balance between western and oriental medicine. And his work involved a lot of travel and necessitated living for extended periods of time under very adverse conditions.

One of the strengths of this book is its appeal, for different reasons, to a variety of people. This really is an excellent story, and a very useful addition to the history of the Communist revolution in China.