A galvanizing narrative of the wartime role played by U.S. Army nurses—from the invasion of North Africa to the bloody Italian campaign to th...
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reviews
Oct 01, 2011
Sophia
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It's a little-known fact that 59,000 American women volunteered to be US Army nurses during World War II. And if I perish is a poignant attempt to make that history known. The authors, Evelyn Monahan and Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee, got so many replies to a request made in conjunction with the National Salute to Women Veterans of World War II celebrating its 50th anniversary they found enough material to write several books. The authors did an excellent job incorporating the stories of specific nur
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Sep 11, 2008
Alaythia
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This book chronicles the experiences of some of the 59,000 women who served as Army Nurses in the battle zones during World War II. Their stories are extraordinary. Nurses received only temporary relative rank—meaning that they wore military insignia but had no military privileges or status. They earned half the pay of their male counterparts in the armed forces. Yet fifty seven female nurses would land right alongside the invasion forces in North Africa. They and others would follow the troops
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Sep 08, 2011
Sarah
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A beautifully written, touching, and exciting account of the unsung heroes of World War II - the women who served in frontline hospitals. They dealt with air raids, mud, bugs, and the ordeal of caring for the seriously wounded. This book includes detailed information about nursing in the European and Mediterranean Theaters, some background history to ground the reader, and gripping personal anecdotes. I found it an excellent resource for researching my World War II novels, but enjoyed it on its
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Sep 10, 2007
Kate
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Another WW2 account soon becoming a favorite. This details the experiences of some of the key combatants for the Allies...women nurses!! The book is divided into campaigns beginning with the North African advance (which I didn't know much about until I read this book because most authors focus on the Pacific and European direct advances.) The book had some gory details the I would have rather not read because of my awful ability to vividly imagine things, but it is necessary to have recorded
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May 18, 2009
Nathan
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A story well worth telling, of people well worth remembering. However, this was horribly written. Heavy-handed and repetitive, with sloppy structure and overly-colloquial prose. I was expecting a work of serious history and was disappointed.
Jul 28, 2010
Glad to see these nurses are finally recognized for their sacrifices they made for our country. Information on where troops landed that was helpful in regard to who was where during the war.
Mar 10, 2009
Kappy
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This was a very interesting book about World War II Nurses. This history of nursing tries to elevate the nurses experiences, which have largely been ignored.
Jan 23, 2011
Elizabeth
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This book is awsome. My favorite part is when the nurses asked for supplies that they needed and the government sent them lipstick lol
Mar 12, 2010
Jill
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You will never learn this in schools; it opened my eyes to how much women did during WWII. One of the best books I have ever read.
Dec 01, 2008
Suzie
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this is a compilation of interviews with women who served as nurses in north africa, italy and france during wwII..fascinating!
Jan 26, 2011
Lisa
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One of the most interesting World War II books of all time. Personally made more interesting because it follows the course of my Grandfather's war from North Africa to the Bulge.
Nov 22, 2010
Margaret
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I really enjoyed this book about the rarely recognized contributions that nurses made to the war effort.
Oct 21, 2011
Kate E.A.
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This is such a heart-wrenching book. I have cried multiple times reading it. I read it very slowly, because I can only take so much before I had to put it down. To think of what my fellow nurses have gone through -- to think of what these women volunteered to do in the Army Nurse Corps -- touches me deeply.
Jul 13, 2010
Pancha
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This was an incredibly well put together book about the nurses in the North African, Mediterranean, and European theaters (with a tiny bit about the Pacific). I definitely recommend this to people who enjoyed Band of Brothers. It had the same narrative scope.
Oct 07, 2010
Kim
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I had to give up on this one....I just couldn't slog thru it. I think I have given up on exactly 2 books in my reading career. So many details, so much, "then we moved here and then we went there." I just lost interest.
Aug 04, 2010
Caroline
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Excellent account of what these nurse's went through during a very difficult time in history!
Sep 07, 2008
Judith
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The account of a Korean Christian's six harrowing years in Japanese prisons.
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