Henny Dunant

by Pam Brown

A rare excellent illustrated book from the series "People Who Have Helped the World", conceived & edited by Helen Exley. This is an illustrated hardcover published in Great Britain in 1988 about the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant. Dunant's book "A Memory of Solferino", described the horrors of one of the bloodiest battles of the last century, in which he not only nursed the dying, but organized local volunteers to assist. His extremely moving book became the impetus for people throughout the world to help him to found the Red Cross. This organization grew to not only care for the war wounded, but also to aid prisoners of war, missing persons, help in natural disasters, blood donations and first aid. It is now the largest humanitarian movement in the world with members in almost 150 countries and this book on his life will inspire YA readers & adults to find other ways to change the world for the better. A heroic tale.

64 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 1989

Reviews

[Barbara Ab · Rating 4 out of 5]

First these two series of little books (about 64 pages) - Scientist who have changed the world and People who have helped the world – are incredible well done. They are small but they provide a complete account of each person life with an outstanding historical background and future developments of his discoveries.. They are also full of pictures with full explanations and outlined quotes.

The founder of the Red Cross – his compassion has saved millions.
“Dunant’s very great merit was that he devised the means of changing such situations which were both deadly and absurd. The solution he proposed was of such elementary simplicity – the simplicity of genius – that all were astonished that it had not been thought of earlier. All that was necessary was to agree on a single special emblem for all armies … the emblem was to identify all those who, while being members of an army, nevertheless did not take any part in the fighting and, therefore, for that reason should not be attacked. This sign was to render anyone bearing it immune from attack, to confer on him a new legal status, which Dunant called “neutrality” (P. Boissier)
“This date – August 22, 1864 – too, is one to remember for this short convention… is a milestone in the history of making. It opened the way to the whole of the treaty law relative to the rules of war as well as to all humanitarian law. The Hague Conventions, and still more directly the Geneva Conventions, sprang from it”. (P. Boissier)