The true stories of the real nurses on the PBS show Mercy Street The nurses of the Civil War ushered in a new era for medicine in the midst of tremendous hardship. While the country was at war; these women not only learned to advocate and care for patients in hostile settings; saved countless lives; and changed the profession forever; they regularly fell ill with no one to nurse them in return; seethed in anger at the indifference and inefficiency that left wounded men on the battlefield without care; and all too often mourned for those they could not rescue. Heroines of Mercy Street tells the true stories of the nurses at Mansion House; the Alexandria; Virginia; hotel turned wartime hospital and setting for the PBS show Mercy Street. Women like Dorothea Dix; Mary Phinney; Anne Reading; and more rushed to be of service to their country during the war; meeting challenges that would discourage less determined souls every step of the way. They saw casualties on a scale Americans had never seen before; diseases like typhoid and dysentery were rampant; and working conditions-both physically and emotionally--were abysmal.Drawing on the diaries; letters; and books written by these nursing pioneers; Pamela D. Toler; PhD; has written a fascinating portrait of true heroines; shining a light on their personal contributions during one of our country's most turbulent periods.
#421600 in Books 2011-10-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 11.50 x 1.00 x 10.50l; 3.30 #File Name: 0316178500192 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Incredible photosBy Herman MelvilleIf you are someone interested; as I am; in the heroic age of Polar exploration; this book is for you. The photos are huge and beautifully reproduced. If you have read Scott's journal or Huntford's book or Crane's or Cherry-Garrard's; you have formed an image in your mind of what it must have looked like to be at Hut Point or starting the trek up the Beardmore Glacier or pulling a heavily-laden sledge. This wonderful book gives you exactly what it looked like: the pony camp; the tents; the sledges; the mountain ranges; One Ton Depot--yes; there are three or four photos that Scott took of One Ton Depot; which he later died only a few miles away from.You need not delve into the controversy concerning Scott's leadership; just immerse yourself in the immense whiteness that those intrepid men entered into of their own free will; and be amazed that ANY of them lived through it. Short of going there yourself; there is nothing like this book.The photos are supplemented by numerous excellent; detailed maps; better than I have seen in any other book; that give the reader a very good idea of where the photos were taken. The accompanying text is generally helpful; though it begins and ends with a strange attempt to impose a supernatural "camera as Jonah" silliness on the photos that I found very distracting.Other than the words of the explorers themselves; this is the most valuable book I have seen about Scott's last expedition. Wow.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Ruben AgreloCaptain Scott amazing photosThe quality of the photos is incredibly1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A new perspective.By SussexThis provides a very interesting additional perspective on Scott's Terra Nova Expedition. Although it is quite a large format; the publishers have seen fit to print some pictures so large that they require two pages. Whilst I understand the desire to provide greater magnification; I wish that they'd left these images whole and uninterrupted on a single page. Still; worth owning.
