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Zigzagging: An American Female Nurse's Experiences During WWI
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
310 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1918
5 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Anderson
107 booksIsabel Anderson was a Boston-area heiress and author who left a legacy to the public that includes a park and two museums.
Born at 284 Marlborough Street in Boston's Back Bay, on both sides of her family Isabel Weld Perkins was descended from wealthy Boston Brahmin who traced their history back to Massachusetts Bay Colony. Generations of ancestors and relatives on both sides had been educated at Harvard, had traded with the Far East, and had built stately homes in Greater Boston (especially in what is now Jamaica Plain).
Isabel's father was Commodore George H. Perkins, the commander of the USS Cayuga during the American Civil War. The commodore's father had grown rich building mills in Contoocookville, New Hampshire and running a shipping firm in Boston that did business in West Africa.
Her mother was Anna Minot Weld, a wealthy socialite born to the Weld Family of Boston. When Isabel was only five years old, she inherited $17 million from her grandfather William Fletcher Weld, reportedly making her the wealthiest woman in America.
In 1896, Perkins was a 20-year old debutante on a world tour. She made a stop in Rome and met Larz Anderson, a young Harvard-educated diplomat from an affluent and prestigious Cincinnati family.
They were married in Boston a year later and embarked on a life of luxury combined with public service and adventure. They traveled widely, making four trips around the world and throughout Europe and Asia. Anderson held a number of diplomatic posts, including a short stint as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Isabel wrote a number of books; those that concern her family specifically are those of the most interest to historians. She also wrote several travelogues, volumes of poetry, and many children's stories.
Her book 'Under the Black horse flag: Annals of the Weld family and some of its branches' describes the transportation empire begun by her great-grandfather William Gordon Weld and details his descendants up to the time of writing.
She also edited the papers of her American Civil War hero father-in-law and published them as The letters and journals of General Nicholas Longworth Anderson; Harvard, civil war, Washington, 1854-1892.
Among her other works are 'Circling Africa', 'On the Move', 'The Spell of Japan', 'The Spell of Belgium', 'The Spell of the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines', 'Topsy Turvy and the Gold Star', 'Yacht in Mediterranean Seas' and 'Zigzagging the South Seas'. Most of her own personal papers are now part of the collection kept at Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Others are stored at New England Historic Genealogical Society.
During World War I, Isabel worked for the American Red Cross as a volunteer of the District of Columbia Refreshment Corps. In 1918 she received the Croix de Guerre for her contributions.
Isabel died in 1948. She is interred in the St. Mary Chapel at Washington National Cathedral with her husband Larz Anderson.
Born at 284 Marlborough Street in Boston's Back Bay, on both sides of her family Isabel Weld Perkins was descended from wealthy Boston Brahmin who traced their history back to Massachusetts Bay Colony. Generations of ancestors and relatives on both sides had been educated at Harvard, had traded with the Far East, and had built stately homes in Greater Boston (especially in what is now Jamaica Plain).
Isabel's father was Commodore George H. Perkins, the commander of the USS Cayuga during the American Civil War. The commodore's father had grown rich building mills in Contoocookville, New Hampshire and running a shipping firm in Boston that did business in West Africa.
Her mother was Anna Minot Weld, a wealthy socialite born to the Weld Family of Boston. When Isabel was only five years old, she inherited $17 million from her grandfather William Fletcher Weld, reportedly making her the wealthiest woman in America.
In 1896, Perkins was a 20-year old debutante on a world tour. She made a stop in Rome and met Larz Anderson, a young Harvard-educated diplomat from an affluent and prestigious Cincinnati family.
They were married in Boston a year later and embarked on a life of luxury combined with public service and adventure. They traveled widely, making four trips around the world and throughout Europe and Asia. Anderson held a number of diplomatic posts, including a short stint as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Isabel wrote a number of books; those that concern her family specifically are those of the most interest to historians. She also wrote several travelogues, volumes of poetry, and many children's stories.
Her book 'Under the Black horse flag: Annals of the Weld family and some of its branches' describes the transportation empire begun by her great-grandfather William Gordon Weld and details his descendants up to the time of writing.
She also edited the papers of her American Civil War hero father-in-law and published them as The letters and journals of General Nicholas Longworth Anderson; Harvard, civil war, Washington, 1854-1892.
Among her other works are 'Circling Africa', 'On the Move', 'The Spell of Japan', 'The Spell of Belgium', 'The Spell of the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines', 'Topsy Turvy and the Gold Star', 'Yacht in Mediterranean Seas' and 'Zigzagging the South Seas'. Most of her own personal papers are now part of the collection kept at Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Others are stored at New England Historic Genealogical Society.
During World War I, Isabel worked for the American Red Cross as a volunteer of the District of Columbia Refreshment Corps. In 1918 she received the Croix de Guerre for her contributions.
Isabel died in 1948. She is interred in the St. Mary Chapel at Washington National Cathedral with her husband Larz Anderson.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 16, 2015
First, I list a bit of background. I come across World War I literature through various means and avenues. My interest is just as much with WWI as it is with the era of American society, my grandparent’s generation. At times I locate books through intense research, while on other occasions a book just simply surfaces. It was by this latter means that I stumbled upon “Zigzagging” by Isabel Weld Perkins Anderson.
Years ago a friend and former neighbor served on the Board of Trustees for the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts, known for the oldest car collection in America. http://larzanderson.org/ I was intrigued as to how Larz and his wife Isabel acquired such wealth to build the historic museum. Both came from affluent families and in fact Isabel, born 1876, inherited 17 million dollars at age 5 making her apparently the wealthiest woman in America.
Isabel Anderson was also an author and in the prime of her life at age of 41 she gave back to society by volunteering for active overseas Red Cross duty during the First World War. Her book “Zigzagging”, published in 1918, is a full memoir of her days assisting others. I found her writing style true to her heart as noted by the first sentence of her Preface: “Few people read prefaces nowadays [1918], I know, but I am old fashioned and one of the few who like to know in a word what I am to expect in a book.”
During her tour duty service (fall 1917 – May 1918) she witnessed the ravage and horrors of war. Due to her status she briefly served in an operating room alongside the Queen of Belgium and dined with General Pershing, but most of all she preformed the traditional assistance as a war nurse with basic pride. Wearing her nurse uniform Anderson followed the roads around barbwire trenches towards the sound of guns with simple baggage and a gas mask slung over her shoulder. German planes were constantly flying over her canteen or hospital ward followed by antiaircraft fire and throughout it all she was compassionate attending the severely wounded. From a 6 bed medical building 2 miles from the front lines to a 500 bed hospital further back her atmosphere was full of morphine and the smell of ether followed by many amputations. Anderson mentioned, as I recorded in my own in my own book that the Red Cross handed out cigarettes to the soldiers. How times have changed.
Anderson was far removed from her comfortable lifestyle in Massachusetts, but her strength was every bit her inner sole. Her Great War memoir is a quick read hidden gem from the past and a testament to how a vicious war touches all levels of society. All profits from her book went to the Red Cross.
Years ago a friend and former neighbor served on the Board of Trustees for the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts, known for the oldest car collection in America. http://larzanderson.org/ I was intrigued as to how Larz and his wife Isabel acquired such wealth to build the historic museum. Both came from affluent families and in fact Isabel, born 1876, inherited 17 million dollars at age 5 making her apparently the wealthiest woman in America.
Isabel Anderson was also an author and in the prime of her life at age of 41 she gave back to society by volunteering for active overseas Red Cross duty during the First World War. Her book “Zigzagging”, published in 1918, is a full memoir of her days assisting others. I found her writing style true to her heart as noted by the first sentence of her Preface: “Few people read prefaces nowadays [1918], I know, but I am old fashioned and one of the few who like to know in a word what I am to expect in a book.”
During her tour duty service (fall 1917 – May 1918) she witnessed the ravage and horrors of war. Due to her status she briefly served in an operating room alongside the Queen of Belgium and dined with General Pershing, but most of all she preformed the traditional assistance as a war nurse with basic pride. Wearing her nurse uniform Anderson followed the roads around barbwire trenches towards the sound of guns with simple baggage and a gas mask slung over her shoulder. German planes were constantly flying over her canteen or hospital ward followed by antiaircraft fire and throughout it all she was compassionate attending the severely wounded. From a 6 bed medical building 2 miles from the front lines to a 500 bed hospital further back her atmosphere was full of morphine and the smell of ether followed by many amputations. Anderson mentioned, as I recorded in my own in my own book that the Red Cross handed out cigarettes to the soldiers. How times have changed.
Anderson was far removed from her comfortable lifestyle in Massachusetts, but her strength was every bit her inner sole. Her Great War memoir is a quick read hidden gem from the past and a testament to how a vicious war touches all levels of society. All profits from her book went to the Red Cross.
November 28, 2024
Good detail into the women that saved lives during WW2, just wish the story line was easier to follow.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews