Nursing Books - Any Recomendations

[Shiny]

Hi All,

The title says it all really.

My wife is a nurse and has mentioned wanting "Nursing through shot and shell" for Christmas. I was wondering if there are any other WW1 nursing books that people can recommend.

I'm also wondering if there is a particular book about Edith Cavell that is better than others?

Thanks for the help,

Michael

[Dragon]

Someone recommended 'Dorothea's War: a First World War nurse tells her story' by Dorothea Crewdson, edited by Richard Crewdson. I've just sent for it, so I haven't read it, but the reviews were good and the paperback edition is cheap.

Gwyn

[Black Maria]

'Unknown Warriors' by Kate Luard, it has recently been reprinted.

[The Scorer]

This one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edith-Cavell-Centenary-Reissue-Heroine/dp/1784291323/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447164306&sr=1-1&keywords=edith+cavell+diana+souhami is a very good book about Edith Cavell.

I read the 2011 version in paperback earlier this year before this centenary version came out, so I don't know what changes they've made for this edition. I did enjoy it.

This one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nurse-Front-Diaries-Sister-Appleton/dp/1849833664/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447165589&sr=1-1&keywords=First+World+War+Nursing+Books is also very good.

I read it following a talk at the Gwent Branch of the WFA a while ago, and found it very interesting.

[seaJane]

I've been given A nurse at the Front: the First World War diaries of Sister Edith Appleton but have yet to read it.

Also in my collection are:

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain.

Flowers of No Man's Land edited by Lynn McDonald (this one I have read and re-read).

Elsie & Mairi go to war by Dr Diane Atkinson (I've been supposed to be sending this to Kate for ages, mea culpa ... ).

Not in print but also rather good, although perhaps less about the nursing, is Grey ghosts and voices by May Wedderburn Cannan.

sJ

[CarylW]

Sue's list of books from Scarletfinders

http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/9.html

Her list of free ebooks to download

http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/113.html

Also The Fairest Force

http://www.fairestforce.co.uk/15.html

[pooter]

The pdf of this book can be downloaded from here https://archive.org/details/nurseatwarnursin00mcdo

[Sue Light]

If 'Nursing through Shot and Shell' appeals, then perhaps best to concentrate on similar books written by nurses working in British hospitals. The ones mentioned in early posts are ideal, i.e. 'A Nurse at the Front' (Edith Appleton), 'Dorothea's War' and 'Unknown Warriors.' The latter is recently republished, but is a continuation of Kate Luard's first book 'Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front' which was published anonymously in 1916 and really worth reading before embarking on 'Unknown Warriors.' I'd also add to those 'The First World War Diaries of Emma Duffin' - she was a VAD working at No.2 General Hospital, Havre.

I'm not sure I'd actually add in works on Edith Cavell to 'nurse' books of the First World War as they are really about something rather different - the story of a nurse certainly, but not one of nursing. But on that theme I'd strongly recommend 'War Memories' by Princess Marie de Croy which is freely available on the web as it tells the story of the escape network that eventually led to Brussels and in which Edith Cavell was one of the final links. I don't think you can really understand what happened in Brussels without knowing how men arrived there and how many people were involved, a number of who were also imprisoned and executed by the Germans.

War Memories - Marie de Croy

Sue

[Stuart24]

Hi

'Women in the war zone' by Anne Powell is escellent - short accounts by nurses in all theatres all through the war. A brilliant read.

Cheers

Stuart

[Shiny]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone, best Santa starts shopping sooner rather than later I think.

I've also just spent the last 30 minutes or so looking at Sue's website, it's absolutely fascinating. I've learnt loads just in the 30 minutes or so.

Thanks again,

Michael

[Myrtle]

I'm not sure I'd actually add in works on Edith Cavell to 'nurse' books of the First World War as they are really about something rather different - the story of a nurse certainly, but not one of nursing. But on that theme I'd strongly recommend 'War Memories' by Princess Marie de Croy which is freely available on the web as it tells the story of the escape network that eventually led to Brussels and in which Edith Cavell was one of the final links. I don't think you can really understand what happened in Brussels without knowing how men arrived there and how many people were involved, a number of who were also imprisoned and executed by the Germans.

War Memories - Marie de Croy

Thanks for the recommendation Sue. A riveting read !