Florence Nightingale

by Hugh Small

Florence Nightingale achieved fame for her leadership of a group of British nurses during the Crimean War. After the war, she dedicated herself to promoting public health. This book provides a new explanation for Nightingale''s actions.'

Genres: Biography, History, Nursing, Modern

Paperback

First published November 20, 1999

Reviews

[Chris Jarvis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not what I expected to read about Florence Nightingale. The political and military details were overdone. While it’s certainly challenging to procure accurate information on a person who destroyed much of her correspondence, it nonetheless lends itself to page after page of saying the same things over and over again. There are definitely many descriptions of tragic events that led to the thousands of deaths, and that is sobering. But ultimately, I feel the need to read another author’s attempt at a Nightingale biography to see if I can piece together what I feel to be many missing pieces to the portrait of Florence Nightingale.

[Fran Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Florence Nightingale received fame for leadership of British nurses during the Crimean War. After the end of the war she dedicated her life to promoting public health while bedridden after collapsing at the age of 37. The author compares conflicting accounts of what happened in her hospital at Scutari during the war. There became an official cover up of a public health disaster that involved Queen Victoria's conflict over royal control of the Army.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book bogged down in the middle and I didn't finish reading the last 10 pages because I just didn't care by that time. However, I did develop an interest in Queen Victoria while attempting to read this book. So, I guess it wasn't all bad.