Nurses of Passchendaele: Caring for the Wounded of the Ypres Campaigns 1914 - 1918

by Christine E. Hallett

The Ypres Salient saw some of the bitterest fighting of the First World War. The once-fertile fields of Flanders were turned into a quagmire through which men fought for four years. In casualty clearing stations, on ambulance trains and barges, and at base hospitals near the French and Belgian coasts, nurses of many nations cared for these traumatized and damaged men.Drawing on letters, diaries and personal accounts from archives all over the world, The Nurses of Passchendaele tells their stories - faithfully recounting their experiences behind the Ypres Salient in one of the most intense and prolonged casualty evacuation processes in the history of modern warfare. Nurses themselves came under shellfire and were vulnerable to aerial bombardment, and some were killed or injured while on active service.Alongside an analysis of the intricacies of their practice, the book traces the personal stories of some of these extraordinary women, revealing the courage, resilience and compassion with which they did their work.

Genres: History, World War I, War, Nonfiction

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2017

About the author

Christine Hallett is Professor of Nursing History at the University of Huddersfield, Chair of the UK Association for the History of Nursing, and President of the European Association for the History of Nursing. She is a trained nurse and health visitor, and holds PhDs in both Nursing and History.

Reviews

[Peter Tosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's critical we have books like this that show women in history. Too often history is just of the victorious and mainly men.

Very good book. Shows that the nurses were some of the first people to realize time was the biggest enemy in the race to treat the wounded in world war one. Hallet debunks the stereotypical romantic image of the nurse and shows how critical and hard working they were to the survival of the patients. The nurses were almost on the front line and were shelled, bombed and gassed just as the soldiers were. Many were decorated with the highest awards for bravery. Many died and suffered post traumatic stress disorder.

[Denise K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is really readable and I had to pause many times just to think about what these people did and have gone through.
The stories of nurses and patients were always told in context of what happened on the Western Front, which gave it a more 'complete' feeling.

And my only complaint about the book (which is the reason I gave it 4 instead if 5 stars) is, that it's rally hard to remember which person was which. The names felt mostly interchangeable and I couldn't really remember who did what a few pages later, just what one of them did.

[Jwt Jan50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I only saw two ratings less than 5*'s. The author's back list: Containing Trauma: Nursing Work WW1 (Manchester Univ Press), Veiled Warriors: Allied Nurses WW1 (Oxford Univ Press) and Nurse Writers of the Great War (Manchester Univ Press). PhD Nursing and History. My personal assessment is that this is the 'story' she wanted to tell. There are always some extremely moving and 'readable' academic/peer review histories. But this is written as a well documented, but extremely moving tribute. The numbers and the hardships are/were staggering. Bring the tissue box. Concur with the one reviewer re 'not' a bedtime read.

[Rick B.H. Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book on the Nursing sisters of W.W. I. How they lived, struggled and cared for the ones wounded during the Great War. The mental stress as well as the physical damages caused by the never ending wounded. These little heroes the ones who survived, and those who gave their lives to save lives including citizens and enemy soldiers. All went above and beyond their oath. Those with serious wounds of which recovery was impossible, would never parish alone a nursing sister was there holding their hand and talking with him.

[Wietse Van den bos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geïnspireerd om te lezen door en gekocht in Flanders Field Museum, een boek over een aspect van de eerste wereldoorlog waar ik eigenlijk heel weinig van wist. Zoals je verwacht bij dit onderwerp een tamelijk luguber boek, maar wel erg interessant. Het was vrij lastig (mij is het iig niet gelukt) om alle namen bij te houden, maar dat was niet erg want zij dienden vooral ter illustratie. Al met al, prima boek.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very good. For those needing medical stuff for GCSE history, it’s very very good.

[Tarquilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read but packed full of research and insights into the nurses lives. Very interesting.