In the Blood

How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took On the US Army

By: Charles Barber

Narrated by: Ron Butler

The "high-stakes" true story of how an absent-minded inventor and a down-on-his-luck salesman joined forces to create a once‑in‑a‑generation lifesaving product: "Suspenseful storytelling helps us see and feel the struggle and frustration, the sweat and tears . . . Inspiring” (Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road).

At the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, dramatized by the popular film Black Hawk Down, the majority of soldiers who died were killed instantly or bled to death before they could reach an operating table. This tragedy reinforced the need for a revolutionary treatment that could transform trauma medicine. So, when Frank Hursey and Bart Gullong—who had no medical or military experience—discovered that a cheap, crushed rock called zeolite had blood‑clotting properties, they brought it to the military's attention. The Marines and the Navy adopted the resulting product, QuikClot, immediately. The Army, however, resisted. It had two products of its own being developed to prevent excessive bleeds, one of which had already cost tens of millions of dollars. The other, "Factor Seven," had a more dangerous complication: its side effects could be deadly. Unwilling to let its efforts end in failure—and led by the highly influential surgeon Colonel John Holcomb—the Army set out to smear QuikClot’s reputation.

Over the course of six years, Hursey and Gullong engaged in an epic struggle with Holcomb for recognition. Ultimately, a whistle‑blower inside the Army challenged the Army’s embrace of Factor Seven, which resulted in a massive lawsuit led by the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit focused further attention on the financial ties between the pharmaceutical company that produced Factor Seven and Holcomb’s research institute.

By withholding QuikClot—which later became the medical miracle of the Iraq War—and in the use of Factor Seven with its known, life-threatening risks of heart attacks and strokes, the lives of countless soldiers were imperiled. Using deep reportage and riveting prose, In the Blood recounts this little‑known David‑and‑Goliath story of corruption, greed, and power within the military—and the devastating consequences of unchecked institutional arrogance.

Critic reviews

“In the Blood is an amazing, all-too-true underdog story with intensely high stakes—thousands of lives in the balance. Medical miracles don’t happen overnight, and Charles Barber’s suspenseful storytelling helps us see and feel the struggle and frustration, the sweat and tears. The result is inspiring.”—Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road

"In the Blood is that wonderful kind of true story that is at times utterly unbelievable. Yet Charles Barber’s deep research and graceful prose turns it into something even greater: a portrait of an unlikely yet perfect friendship, a testament to the marriage of ingenuity and salesmanship, a fierce interrogation of groupthink, and a tribute to the courage of American soldiers and corpsmen. The story is inspiring, yet so many moments left me shaken."

—Jeff Hobbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

Praise for Citizen Outlaw:

“Plunges readers inside the belly of the beast with such searing credibility, you’ll feel you’re there. Brilliantly crafted . . . that rare book that educates, entertains, and inspires. It’s a must read for anyone interested in criminal justice reform and the power of the human spirit.”—Pete Earley, author of The Hot House: Life Inside Leavenworth Prison

“An extraordinary book about an extraordinary man . . . a great American gangster story, told with wit and insight . . . riveting and unexpectedly moving—a life-and-death saga that is also a meditation on the nature of ambition.”—Kelefa Sanneh, staff writer, The New Yorker

“An elegantly written account tackling one of the most important moral issues of our time—the role of redemption in our justice system and our society. This book offers an unforgettable rendering of a life redeemed.”—Jennifer Gonnerman, author of Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett

Praise for Comfortably Numb:

“[An] informed writer on cultural history as well as neuroscience, psychotherapy, and economics . . . A blockbuster essential for all libraries.”—Library Journal, Starred Review

"Passionate yet fair-minded."—Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason

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Praise for Songs from the Black Chair:

“Imaginative and beautifully written, with vivid imagery and wit."—Journal of the American Medical Association

Engaging story about the development of this life saving technology

Got drawn into this story about bringing a new lifesaving technology to market. I found myself rooting for this company to get this product into as many hands as possible, and save as many lives as possible. Amazing how many hurdles and roadblocks were put up to slow or stop the progress of something so amazing. I’ve now purchased and keep these in my own first aid kit.

Engaging book

It was a story I had never really knew or paid attention to even though I am a physician. I recall seeing the articles on Factor 7 in major journals but having the back story on the human drama going on between the army and this company was interesting to learn. This was an engaging book that will be hard to stop listening to

Fascinating well researched. Page turner

This is an excellent book on many levels. It portrays some US Army medical decisions as delusional and costing lives. But in the end the good guys win by having the best product and saving lives.

As a combat veteran

Fantastic story about events that changed history and saved lives. This was especially moving being a Navy combat veteran

Excellent medical history

This is a story of ingenuity and perseverance against a powerful adversary by two unlikely individuals. Their contributions to blood coagulation in extreme emergencies has saved lives and set a template for how professionals deal with extreme bleeding emergencies.
This is a story that is inspired.