Between Flesh and Steel: A History of Military Medicine from the Middle Ages to the War in Afghanistan

by Richard A. Gabriel

Over the last five centuries, the development of modern weapons and warfare has created an entirely new set of challenges for practitioners in the field of military medicine. Between Flesh and Steel traces the historical development of military medicine from the Middle Ages to modern times.

 

Military historian Richard A. Gabriel focuses on three key the modifications in warfare and weapons whose increased killing power radically changed the medical challenges that battle surgeons faced in dealing with casualties, advancements in medical techniques that increased the effectiveness of military medical care, and changes that finally brought about the establishment of military medical care system in modern times. Others topics include the rise of the military surgeon, the invention of anesthesia, and the emergence of such critical disciplines as military psychiatry and bacteriology. The approach is chronological—century by century and war by war, including Iraq and Afghanistan—and cross-cultural in that it examines developments in all of the major armies of the British, French, Russian, German, and American. Between Flesh and Steel is the most comprehensive book on the market about the evolution of modern military medicine.

Genres: History, Medicine, Nonfiction

312 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Brian Thorson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a fairly comprehensive review of military medicine from antiquity to present day. For the reader looking to dig deeper into a topic or time period, Gabriel cites his research well making it easy to learn more. I recommend this book as a foundational reference for military medical practitioners.

[CB Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic look at how military medicine has transformed over time

[Paul A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabriel’s “Man and Wound In the Ancient World” ended in 1453, just as gunpowder weapons began to more commonly appear on the battlefield. “Between Flesh and Steel” covers the period between 1453 and the present.

Increasing lethality of weaponry necessitates increased dispersion of forces, making it more difficult to retrieve casualties. Disease and infection continue to plague armed forces up until the late 19th century.

Meanwhile, the military medical establishment grows and advances in an attempt to salvage the human wreckage of war from the battlefield. This book is a fascinating look at how people have attempted to cope with a battlefield that is becoming ever more dangerous and questions whether we will have the capability to deal with medical crisis of the next war.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What has changed, of course, are the conditions under which the military physician must apply his or her skill… the dispersion of combat forces over far greater areas, the increased rates of destruction of locally engaged forces made possible by increases in the rates of fire and lethality of modern weaponry, and the greatly increased vulnerability of combat medical assets on the high-mobility battlefield.”

[Thor R · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a military medical professional, this was the book I was looking for. It’s a comprehensive look at military medicine across nations from 1453 - when gunpowder became standard on the battlefield. It answered a lot of questions I have had, explained the history of different developments, and asked questions of the future. This is a must read for anyone interested or working in military medicine.

[Wynn B Gordy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting history of military medicine from the beginning of time to now.

[D. Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. I was hoping for more detail on medical technological advances, but this book focused more on the organization and logistics of military medicine.