G.I. Nightingales: The Army Nurse Corps in World War II - Softcover

Tomblin, Barbara Brooks

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813190797 ISBN 13: 9780813190792

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 2003

Synopsis

"Weaving together information from official sources and personal interviews, Barbara Tomblin gives the first full-length account of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in the Second World War. She describes how over 60,000 army nurses, all volunteers, cared for sick and wounded American soldiers in every theater of the war, serving in the jungles of the Southwest Pacific, the frozen reaches of Alaska and Iceland, the mud of Italy and northern Europe, or the heat and dust of the Middle East. Many of the women in the Army Nurse Corps served in dangerous hospitals near the front lines―201 nurses were killed by accident or enemy action, and another 1,600 won decorations for meritorious service. These nurses address the extreme difficulties of dealing with combat and its effects in World War II, and their stories are all the more valuable to women's and military historians because they tell of the war from a very different viewpoint than that of male officers. Although they were unable to achieve full equality for American women in the military during World War II, army nurses did secure equal pay allowances and full military rank, and they proved beyond a doubt their ability and willingness to serve and maintain excellent standards of nursing care under difficult and often dangerous conditions.

About this title

Review:

"Tomblin's admirable narrative history of the U.S. Army nurses of World War II avoids the Procrustean theoretical apparatus of gender studies to straightforwardly tell who did what, where and when."―ALA Booklist

"Provides a comprehensive and inspiring picture of the competence, dedication, and unparalleled bravery under fire of the 60,000 Army nurses and 14,000 Navy nurses who brought caring, comfort, and compassion to thousands of wounded servicemen."―Bulletin of the History of Medicine

"Tomblin writes not only a history of the nurses who served, but, in many ways, a history of the war itself, concentrating on the role of the medical staff, rather than that of the soldiers. . . There is much to be learned about the strength and dignity of American women. Barbara Tomblin has created a book which will aid in that learning process."―H-Net Reviews

"Not only a history of the nurses who served, but, in many ways, a history of the war itself, concentrating on the role of medical staff."―Journal of American Culture

"Tomblin has done a prodigious amount of work in gathering this material and rescuing these women for history."―Journal of American History

"Tomblin allows the nurses to tell their stories in their own words, describing everything from operating room procedures to their participation in the Normandy invasion."―Library Journal

"Along with their deserving stories, the reader learns the history of women nurses in the military. Tomblin allows the nurses to tell their stories in their own words, describing everything from operating room procedures to their participation in the Normandy invasion."―Library Journal

"Discusses not only the types of illnesses that the nurses encountered, but also the environment they lived in, the cultural issues, and the social life that kept them in balance."―Military Medicine

"Recommended for readers interested in the history of military nursing, especially for those entering military nursing service, so that they can understand the sacrifices made by a previous generation, and what their contributions mean for today's and tomorrow's military nurses."―Nursing History Review

"Deeply researched and finely crafted. . . . A worthy tribute to the more than 60,000 Army Nurse Corps members who served their nation in World War II."―WWII History

From Booklist:

Tomblin's admirable narrative history of the U.S. Army nurses of World War II avoids the Procrustean theoretical apparatus of gender studies to straightforwardly tell who did what, where and when. The Army Nurse Corps, originally with rather than in the army, was reorganized and expanded just in time for World War II. After reporting that development, Tomblin follows the nurses from the vast Pacific to the intense European to the miseries of the China-Burma-India theaters of war. She also recalls the work of the nurses who held the fort at army hospitals back home and the particular story of African American nurses, who suffered discrimination during the war and oblivion afterward. Tomblin's modest volume (considering the potential size of the subject) makes a thoroughly readable addition to World War II and women's studies collections. Roland Green

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0813190797
• ISBN 13: 9780813190792
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272