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The Roses of No Man's Land
"On the face of it," writes Lyn Macdonald, "no one could have been less equipped for the job than these gently nurtured girls who walked straight out of Edwardian drawing rooms into the manifest horrors of the First World War..." Yet the volunteer nurses rose magnificently to the occasion. In leaking tents and drafty huts they fought another war, a war against agony and death, as men lay suffering from the pain of unimaginable wounds or diseases we can now cure almost instantly. It was here that young doctors frantically forged new medical techniques -- of blood transfusion, dentistry, psychiatry and plastic surgery -- in the attempt to save soldiers shattered in body or spirit. And it was here that women achieved a quiet but permanent revolution, by proving beyond question they could do anything. All this is superbly captured in The Roses of No Man's Land, a panorama of hardship, disillusion and despair, yet also of endurance and supreme courage.
"Lyn Macdonald writes splendidly and touchingly of the work of the nurses and doctors who fought their humanitarian battle on the Western Front" - Sunday Telegraph
Over the past twenty years Lyn Macdonald has established a popular reputation as an author and historian of the First World War. Her books are based on the accounts of eyewitnesses and survivors, told in their own words, and cast a unique light on the First World War.
"Lyn Macdonald writes splendidly and touchingly of the work of the nurses and doctors who fought their humanitarian battle on the Western Front" - Sunday Telegraph
Over the past twenty years Lyn Macdonald has established a popular reputation as an author and historian of the First World War. Her books are based on the accounts of eyewitnesses and survivors, told in their own words, and cast a unique light on the First World War.
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 1980
About the author
Lyn Macdonald
17 books87 followersOver the course of her career Lyn Macdonald established a popular reputation as an author and historian of the First World War. Her books are They Called It Passchendaele, an account of the Passchendaele campaign in 1917; The Roses of No Man's Land,, a chronicle of the war from the neglected viewpoint of the casualties and the medical teams who struggled to save them; Somme, a history of the legendary and horrifying battle that has haunted the minds of succeeding generations; 1914, a vivid account of the first months of the war and winner of the 1987 Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Award; 1914-1918: Voices and Images of the Great War, an illuminating account of the many different aspects of the war; and 1915: The Death of Innocence, a brilliant evocation of the year that saw the terrible losses of Aubers Ridge, Loos, Neuve Chapelle, Ypres and Gallipoli.
Her superb chronicles of popular history were notable for their extensive use of eyewitness and survivor accounts, and she drew on oceans of contemporary letters and diaries as well as capturing the memories of a dwindling supply of veterans. In doing so, she cast a unique light on the experiences of the ordinary ‘Tommy’ in the wider context of the First World War, documenting the innocence of a lost generation and bringing to life the disillusionment, the questioning and the heroism of the men of the British Army. “My intention,” she said, “has been to tune in to the heartbeat of the experience of the people who lived through it.”
Her superb chronicles of popular history were notable for their extensive use of eyewitness and survivor accounts, and she drew on oceans of contemporary letters and diaries as well as capturing the memories of a dwindling supply of veterans. In doing so, she cast a unique light on the experiences of the ordinary ‘Tommy’ in the wider context of the First World War, documenting the innocence of a lost generation and bringing to life the disillusionment, the questioning and the heroism of the men of the British Army. “My intention,” she said, “has been to tune in to the heartbeat of the experience of the people who lived through it.”
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April 12, 2008
Renowned World War I historian Lyn Macdonald uses countless interviews to create an almost mesmerizing chronicle of the other army — the volunteer nurses. "On the face of it," she introduces, "no one could have been less equipped for the job than these gently nurtured girls who walked straight out of Edwardian drawing rooms into the manifest horrors of the First World War." Tales of humor, despair, and unequalled courage as these women watched their contemporaries — and their world — die in the Great War. The war may have destroyed a generation of men, but it re-created a generation of women.
April 13, 2021
The Roses of No Man’s Land by Lyn MacDonald
MacDonald is one of the most recognized historians on WW1. I find this period of history and the associated literature in particular to be fascinating. Without question there is significant scholarship material in this book on the roses - nurses and ambulance personnel - of WWI.
This is the third book that I have read of MacDonald’s but only one of these I feel was excellent. They Called it Paschendale was that book. It was focused on a very small geographic area over a short timeframe and was heavy on imagery.
The problem that I have with this book however is similar to the issue that I had with another MacDonald book called The Last Man: Spring 1918. There are, quite simply, an excessive number of lengthy quotations from nearly a hundred different witnesses in a war that spanned the globe. To be fair the focus is on the British nurses and soldiers primarily. But the narrative is constantly interrupted despite the fact that MacDonald has an excellent narrative voice. But we didn’t get to see enough of it here and as a result this fragmented book ends with a bit of a whimper.
I did find the chapter on the nurses and nuns on the hospital ships at Gallipoli to be fascinating. It was an excellent narrative of both the horror of the trench warfare on that narrow beachhead and the danger to the nurses in the support ships off the beachhead - two of which were sunk on their way to the front.
3 stars.
MacDonald is one of the most recognized historians on WW1. I find this period of history and the associated literature in particular to be fascinating. Without question there is significant scholarship material in this book on the roses - nurses and ambulance personnel - of WWI.
This is the third book that I have read of MacDonald’s but only one of these I feel was excellent. They Called it Paschendale was that book. It was focused on a very small geographic area over a short timeframe and was heavy on imagery.
The problem that I have with this book however is similar to the issue that I had with another MacDonald book called The Last Man: Spring 1918. There are, quite simply, an excessive number of lengthy quotations from nearly a hundred different witnesses in a war that spanned the globe. To be fair the focus is on the British nurses and soldiers primarily. But the narrative is constantly interrupted despite the fact that MacDonald has an excellent narrative voice. But we didn’t get to see enough of it here and as a result this fragmented book ends with a bit of a whimper.
I did find the chapter on the nurses and nuns on the hospital ships at Gallipoli to be fascinating. It was an excellent narrative of both the horror of the trench warfare on that narrow beachhead and the danger to the nurses in the support ships off the beachhead - two of which were sunk on their way to the front.
3 stars.
December 27, 2015
Most people's abiding image of the First World War VADs probably stems from Vera Brittain and her Testament of Youth. But there were many more Vera Brittains out there serving almost on the front lines of the war, thousands upon thousands of young, gently-bred girls who went from Edwardian drawing rooms and débutante balls and finishing schools, straight into the hell of the Western Front, volunteers all of them.
These girls more than rose (forgive the pun!) to the challenge, serving as ambulance drivers, in military hospitals in England, base hospitals in the rear of the lines, casualty clearing stations, aid stations. Sometimes the front overtook them, sometimes they refused to be evacuated when the lines shifted, and more than a few ended up prisoners of war. Some served on hospital ships sunk at sea and in harbours. Late in the war the Germans took to bombing hospitals from the air (arguments as to whether this was a deliberate policy or simply collateral damage due to their proximity to military camps and depot continue to this day). Life as a VAD in WW1 may not have been as dangerous as the fighting troops, but it was dangerous nonetheless, and several hundred young women lost their lives.
Lyn Macdonald gives those women and girls voices, interlacing her account of the medical history of WW1 with first-person accounts from survivors - nurses, soldiers, orderlies, civilians. These tales really give a sense of personality and immediacy to the narrative, making each and every individual a life, rather than a statistic. So often the losses of WW1 can seem so staggering, so overwhelming, that the individual stories behind each number get lost, the narrative bogged down in battle strategy and military minutiae. That is where this kind of historiobiography is so desperately needed, to remind subsequent generations that every one of those millions of dead had a story to tell, and the survivors too.
These girls more than rose (forgive the pun!) to the challenge, serving as ambulance drivers, in military hospitals in England, base hospitals in the rear of the lines, casualty clearing stations, aid stations. Sometimes the front overtook them, sometimes they refused to be evacuated when the lines shifted, and more than a few ended up prisoners of war. Some served on hospital ships sunk at sea and in harbours. Late in the war the Germans took to bombing hospitals from the air (arguments as to whether this was a deliberate policy or simply collateral damage due to their proximity to military camps and depot continue to this day). Life as a VAD in WW1 may not have been as dangerous as the fighting troops, but it was dangerous nonetheless, and several hundred young women lost their lives.
Lyn Macdonald gives those women and girls voices, interlacing her account of the medical history of WW1 with first-person accounts from survivors - nurses, soldiers, orderlies, civilians. These tales really give a sense of personality and immediacy to the narrative, making each and every individual a life, rather than a statistic. So often the losses of WW1 can seem so staggering, so overwhelming, that the individual stories behind each number get lost, the narrative bogged down in battle strategy and military minutiae. That is where this kind of historiobiography is so desperately needed, to remind subsequent generations that every one of those millions of dead had a story to tell, and the survivors too.
April 18, 2019
This author compiled the stories, of not just the young women who served as nurses, and VADs, but orderlies, doctors and the fighting men who endured the horrors of WWI. The book is written in first person accounts drawn from diaries, and letters written by the extraordinary people who fought this war. I include those in the medical profession as they fought their own battles to save as many of those who went over the trenches. The history of the war and historical figures during that time is included and lends details that those who may not have studied WWI. It is important that books like these endure and are read, so that we all can put into perspective what occurs during wartime and how it eventually effects the attitudes of not only those who were there, but their families and future generations. All those who suffered wounds, disease, gassing and their effects for years to come as well as those families whose loved ones died and had to live on colored the world view and despite the horror lead to WWII. The strides made in medicine from WWI treatments resulted in more survivals in the next world war and continued recognition up to today for those who were suffering "shell shock" then and how PTSD survivors are treated today. As long as there are those who answer the call to fight for their countries, we need those who are willing to write the stories of those who witness what occurs during any wartime. We may question whether we should fight, however those that did and continue to do so today must always be recognized for the sacrifices they faced every single. day.
April 21, 2019
I’ve read a lot of books in my life about war and wars. Almost all of them were about the men who participated, and their stories. This is the first book about war that I’ve ever read in which the majority of the stories were about women. The essence of the book is the story of the Allied medical response during the Frst World War. The author provides the context, but the story is told through the diaries and letters of the participants (primarily British, but some Americans). The majority of the stories are by nurses and nurses aides who volunteered to serve in the elaborate military medical system that aided the millions of Allied servicemen and women who became sick and wounded during the course of the War. The stories are poignant, funny, informative, tragic, compelling and moving sometimes to the point of tears. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
September 20, 2015
Very readable history book, consisting of the first person account of participants, either recorded in diaries and letters at the time, or by interview in the period leading up to publication in 1980.
It is clear from the start what its objective is: to tell the story of medics - ranging from skilled doctors to amateur VADs - members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment - and orderlies, working in casualty clearing stations, on ambulances, and hospitals near the Western Front and in Britain. A few excerpts from combatants, and a chapter about Gallipoli, as well as one about two VADs who were torpedoed outside Alexandria. I have seen criticism elsewhere that it doesn't cover military strategy or politics. An odd criticism, it's not supposed to. It's almost exclusively from the viewpoint of British and USA participants, with just one or two Australians and a German. Many of the writers are women although there are also many men quoted, too. Actually, probably a majority of contributors are men, but there is a higher proportion of women than you'll find in almost any other book about this period.
I thought it did well in making most of the book about the excerpts. The author inserts bridge passages of neutral tone, avoiding the temptation to analyse. I was quite taken with this excerpt about Churchill, after he had been sacked from the War Cabinet as a result of the Gallipoli tragedy/fiasco:
I find that a good non-fiction book prompts one to look things up, even if just on Wikipedia. This isn't particularly related to this book, but a result of pretty much everything I've read or watched about World War II leads me to assume that the split between officers and other ranks was broadly 50-50. I looked it up. Wikipedia says that in November 1918, the Army totalled 4 million men, including 165k officers - so considerably less than 5% were commissioned officers. This nugget is more relevant to my analysis of Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... than this.
This was published in 1980, and I did my O Level history project on Trench Warfare in 1983/4. I was not aware of this book at the time, a pity, because it would have been the basis for an unusual take on 'Trench Warfare', which was probably the most popular topic for history projects at the time.
I would recommend this to anyone who already has an interest in World War 1, although probably not to academics. I would recommend it to anyone who appreciated vox populi accounts ie first hand accounts in diaries and letters from the time, and interviews in the 70s, from 'ordinary' participants.
It is clear from the start what its objective is: to tell the story of medics - ranging from skilled doctors to amateur VADs - members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment - and orderlies, working in casualty clearing stations, on ambulances, and hospitals near the Western Front and in Britain. A few excerpts from combatants, and a chapter about Gallipoli, as well as one about two VADs who were torpedoed outside Alexandria. I have seen criticism elsewhere that it doesn't cover military strategy or politics. An odd criticism, it's not supposed to. It's almost exclusively from the viewpoint of British and USA participants, with just one or two Australians and a German. Many of the writers are women although there are also many men quoted, too. Actually, probably a majority of contributors are men, but there is a higher proportion of women than you'll find in almost any other book about this period.
I thought it did well in making most of the book about the excerpts. The author inserts bridge passages of neutral tone, avoiding the temptation to analyse. I was quite taken with this excerpt about Churchill, after he had been sacked from the War Cabinet as a result of the Gallipoli tragedy/fiasco:
I was on my way back to Company Headquarters, because I was a runner and I had just been delivering a message. When I went into the front line from the communication trench I had to turn right, but in the first bay on the left there was an officer pumping rifle grenades over at the Jerry front line. When I got back to my own stretch of trench, everyone was up in arms about it and the Sergeant Major asked me if I saw who was doing it. I told him it was an officer in the next line, so he went along to tell him off. When he came back he said, ‘You’ll never believe who that was. It was Churchill!’ After that the Jerries really let us have it, and there were a lot of unnecessary casualties.
I find that a good non-fiction book prompts one to look things up, even if just on Wikipedia. This isn't particularly related to this book, but a result of pretty much everything I've read or watched about World War II leads me to assume that the split between officers and other ranks was broadly 50-50. I looked it up. Wikipedia says that in November 1918, the Army totalled 4 million men, including 165k officers - so considerably less than 5% were commissioned officers. This nugget is more relevant to my analysis of Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... than this.
This was published in 1980, and I did my O Level history project on Trench Warfare in 1983/4. I was not aware of this book at the time, a pity, because it would have been the basis for an unusual take on 'Trench Warfare', which was probably the most popular topic for history projects at the time.
I would recommend this to anyone who already has an interest in World War 1, although probably not to academics. I would recommend it to anyone who appreciated vox populi accounts ie first hand accounts in diaries and letters from the time, and interviews in the 70s, from 'ordinary' participants.
February 9, 2013
This was not an easy read. There were times when I was in floods of tears, and most of the time I was just totally awed by the heroism of the women described. That they themselves were so very matter-of-fact, that they took the long hours (as in 20, 22 hour shifts), the horrors they dealt with, the appalling conditions (many of them lived in bell tents) and the strain, the heavy responsibilities hey were given, for granted, made me feel rather small.
Told through letters and diaries, this book gives you a very immediate sense of what it was like working in the various casualty clearing stations, field hospitals and general hospitals, not just on the Western front but on the Eastern front and back home in Blighty. The logistics are both amazing and appalling. The sheer volume of casualties is unimaginable. And yet what comes shining through here (and I warn you now, I'm going to use a cliché) is the triumph of the human spirit. Truly.
I've read lots and lots of books on the subject of the Great War. This is one of the best. Not just because of the mass of detail, personal anecdotes that make the detail memorable, and the volume of fascinating medical facts which show the real progress medicine made because of the war, but because of the people themselves. They blew me away. I would really, really like to know how they coped with peace. That would make a fascinating follow-up.
Told through letters and diaries, this book gives you a very immediate sense of what it was like working in the various casualty clearing stations, field hospitals and general hospitals, not just on the Western front but on the Eastern front and back home in Blighty. The logistics are both amazing and appalling. The sheer volume of casualties is unimaginable. And yet what comes shining through here (and I warn you now, I'm going to use a cliché) is the triumph of the human spirit. Truly.
I've read lots and lots of books on the subject of the Great War. This is one of the best. Not just because of the mass of detail, personal anecdotes that make the detail memorable, and the volume of fascinating medical facts which show the real progress medicine made because of the war, but because of the people themselves. They blew me away. I would really, really like to know how they coped with peace. That would make a fascinating follow-up.
April 17, 2024
I’ve read almost all of Lyn Macdonald’s First World books. They are all good, some excellent. She uses many first person accounts from diaries, letters and personal interviews that she conducted in the 1980s, to provide a good bit of the narrative.
This book follows that method very well. In my opinion, it was the first person accounts that made the book shine. She could have used more. It’s a fairly slim book, but well written.
It’s a great story of the many thousands of hard working and brave doctors, nurses and helpers who patched up that wars thousands and thousands of wounded on the Allied side. Very little is written about the German hospital routines, and none on the Italian, Serbian or Russian front. That must have been hideous anyway.
But this is a good read, if you can find it!
This book follows that method very well. In my opinion, it was the first person accounts that made the book shine. She could have used more. It’s a fairly slim book, but well written.
It’s a great story of the many thousands of hard working and brave doctors, nurses and helpers who patched up that wars thousands and thousands of wounded on the Allied side. Very little is written about the German hospital routines, and none on the Italian, Serbian or Russian front. That must have been hideous anyway.
But this is a good read, if you can find it!
June 18, 2020
The author gently guides the reader through the horrors (and the mundanities) of medical service during the First World War, while allowing the story to be told primarily in the voices of those who experienced it. Beautifully and skillfully done. History that is staggering to contemplate.
July 7, 2026
A little bit hard to follow at times, but really interesting information made for a worthwhile read
November 5, 2014
It is hard to believe that this year, 2014, sees the 100 year anniversary of World War I. What is tragic is also the fact that there are now no more living veterans from that war; the last dying in 2012 at the age of 110. It is this last point that makes books like this an invaluable addition to any home bookshelf and library, as it pulls on interviews with those who were there. However, this is not the usual book on the Great War, as it does not just tell the tale of those who fought in the traditional sense, but also looks at the stories and experiences of those groups of unsung heroines, the Nurses.
Using extensive research this Author produces a compelling account of ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances. Ladies taken out of the security and safety of their drawing rooms and thrown into the horrors of war, men who traded in pitchforks for bayonets some who would never return and those who did, would return changed forever. This is a book full of poignant accounts of how these people watched, not only their peers die in the Great War, but also the world they knew and loved.
With great skill this Author is able to weave together the chronology of the war with firsthand accounts of the women who nursed these wounded and broken men. Not all the injuries they nursed were visible, some were hidden in the depths of the mind, making this a book that hand me drawing my breath as I read on.
As the majority of the accounts in this book are from the Nurses point of view, with some given by men in the position of doctors and orderlies, this book also highlights how, out of great suffering some important aspects of medical care were advanced. Each chapter also focuses on a different part played in evacuating the British Soldier from the frontline to the eventual hospital care they would receive if they made the journey alive; the reader is given accounts from the stretcher bearer in the dreaded No Man’s Land to the volunteers at the stations who changed pillow cases and lit cigarettes for the wounded, sometimes just holding a hand and talking to them, through to the final destination of these injured men.
It is by no means an easy read, and I found myself in awe at these women who would sometimes work up to 22 hours a day without complaint, and in such a matter of fact way it would put modern day medical staff to shame. Their living conditions were primitive and for many came as a huge shock when compared to the cosseted lives they had led up to the outbreak of war.
I have read many books about WWI but this has to be amongst the best I have read. It shows how courage can come in many forms and from the most unlikely people, but it also highlights the point that, although the war may have destroyed a generation of men, both mentally and physically, it actually played a large and important role in recreating the role of women in that time.
I would highly recommend this book to all readers regardless of whether they are avid WWI readers or not. We can learn a lot about attitude from this book.
As an afterthought I decided to add that a contemporary song was written as a tribute to the Red Cross Nurses at the front lines of the First World War ‘The Rose of No Man’s Land’ by Jack Caddigan and James Alexander Brennan, and I have included this below:
I've seen some beautiful flowers,
Grow in life's garden fair,
I've spent some wonderful hours,
Lost in their fragrance rare;
But I have found another,
Wondrous beyond compare.
There's a rose that grows on "No Man's Land"
And it's wonderful to see,
Tho' its spray'd with tears, it will live for years,
In my garden of memory.
It's the one red rose the soldier knows,
It's the work of the Master's hand;
Mid the War's great curse, Stands the Red Cross Nurse,
She's the rose of "No Man's Land".
Out of the heavenly splendour,
Down to the trail of woe,
God in his mercy has sent her,
Cheering the world below;
We call her "Rose of Heaven",
We've learned to love her so.
There's a rose that grows on "No Man's Land"
And it's wonderful to see,
Tho' its spray'd with tears, it will live for years,
In my garden of memory.
It's the one red rose the soldier knows,
It's the work of the Master's hand;
Mid the War's great curse, Stands the Red Cross Nurse,
She's the rose of "No Man's Land".
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/11/13...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Using extensive research this Author produces a compelling account of ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances. Ladies taken out of the security and safety of their drawing rooms and thrown into the horrors of war, men who traded in pitchforks for bayonets some who would never return and those who did, would return changed forever. This is a book full of poignant accounts of how these people watched, not only their peers die in the Great War, but also the world they knew and loved.
With great skill this Author is able to weave together the chronology of the war with firsthand accounts of the women who nursed these wounded and broken men. Not all the injuries they nursed were visible, some were hidden in the depths of the mind, making this a book that hand me drawing my breath as I read on.
As the majority of the accounts in this book are from the Nurses point of view, with some given by men in the position of doctors and orderlies, this book also highlights how, out of great suffering some important aspects of medical care were advanced. Each chapter also focuses on a different part played in evacuating the British Soldier from the frontline to the eventual hospital care they would receive if they made the journey alive; the reader is given accounts from the stretcher bearer in the dreaded No Man’s Land to the volunteers at the stations who changed pillow cases and lit cigarettes for the wounded, sometimes just holding a hand and talking to them, through to the final destination of these injured men.
It is by no means an easy read, and I found myself in awe at these women who would sometimes work up to 22 hours a day without complaint, and in such a matter of fact way it would put modern day medical staff to shame. Their living conditions were primitive and for many came as a huge shock when compared to the cosseted lives they had led up to the outbreak of war.
I have read many books about WWI but this has to be amongst the best I have read. It shows how courage can come in many forms and from the most unlikely people, but it also highlights the point that, although the war may have destroyed a generation of men, both mentally and physically, it actually played a large and important role in recreating the role of women in that time.
I would highly recommend this book to all readers regardless of whether they are avid WWI readers or not. We can learn a lot about attitude from this book.
As an afterthought I decided to add that a contemporary song was written as a tribute to the Red Cross Nurses at the front lines of the First World War ‘The Rose of No Man’s Land’ by Jack Caddigan and James Alexander Brennan, and I have included this below:
I've seen some beautiful flowers,
Grow in life's garden fair,
I've spent some wonderful hours,
Lost in their fragrance rare;
But I have found another,
Wondrous beyond compare.
There's a rose that grows on "No Man's Land"
And it's wonderful to see,
Tho' its spray'd with tears, it will live for years,
In my garden of memory.
It's the one red rose the soldier knows,
It's the work of the Master's hand;
Mid the War's great curse, Stands the Red Cross Nurse,
She's the rose of "No Man's Land".
Out of the heavenly splendour,
Down to the trail of woe,
God in his mercy has sent her,
Cheering the world below;
We call her "Rose of Heaven",
We've learned to love her so.
There's a rose that grows on "No Man's Land"
And it's wonderful to see,
Tho' its spray'd with tears, it will live for years,
In my garden of memory.
It's the one red rose the soldier knows,
It's the work of the Master's hand;
Mid the War's great curse, Stands the Red Cross Nurse,
She's the rose of "No Man's Land".
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/11/13...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
February 2, 2021
It’s almost impossible to comprehend the mammoth effort that penetrated every part of life and class structure across the globe in WW1. It seems that anyone or anything could be taken for the endeavour of war . This book recounts the colossal efforts of the Voluntary Aid Detachment ( VAD). A voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire.
This book depicts the efforts of those Edwardian ladies partaking in their usual weekend social classes with the St John’s Ambulance finding themselves mobilised to support the Medical Corps on one of the many fronts. Poignant also are the stories of young scouts undertaking home guard antics with wooded rifles , having little experience in battle but deployed anyway to the theatre of war . Illustrated through commentary personal letters and memoirs the author highlights the scale of this war and how unprepared they all were. Of course they could never have been prepared to the onslaught that lie ahead. The losses were enormous. You cannot help but think of how overwhelmed and helpless those involved, must have felt. Captured is the essence of what life must have been like for some of those people. Receiving relentless casualties and with no sense of it ever ending . Pain relief was scarce , blood transfusion problematic and irrigation of wounds primitive. Shell shock and battle fatigue are not forgotten in this text.
The book concludes with the declaration of peace on Armistice day. But it was not over for the Medical Corps who found themselves turning many of the surgical wards into medical wards in order to treat the 1918 flu pandemic. It is a hard read in many ways because it is a glimpse of the sacrifice that these people made and a debt we cannot repay
This book depicts the efforts of those Edwardian ladies partaking in their usual weekend social classes with the St John’s Ambulance finding themselves mobilised to support the Medical Corps on one of the many fronts. Poignant also are the stories of young scouts undertaking home guard antics with wooded rifles , having little experience in battle but deployed anyway to the theatre of war . Illustrated through commentary personal letters and memoirs the author highlights the scale of this war and how unprepared they all were. Of course they could never have been prepared to the onslaught that lie ahead. The losses were enormous. You cannot help but think of how overwhelmed and helpless those involved, must have felt. Captured is the essence of what life must have been like for some of those people. Receiving relentless casualties and with no sense of it ever ending . Pain relief was scarce , blood transfusion problematic and irrigation of wounds primitive. Shell shock and battle fatigue are not forgotten in this text.
The book concludes with the declaration of peace on Armistice day. But it was not over for the Medical Corps who found themselves turning many of the surgical wards into medical wards in order to treat the 1918 flu pandemic. It is a hard read in many ways because it is a glimpse of the sacrifice that these people made and a debt we cannot repay
July 29, 2014
This was a brilliant work of research turned into a compelling account of civilians turned soldiers, turned nurses, turned ambulance drivers on the front lines during WWI.
The author plumbed the depths of letters and diaries cherished by families, in museums, and libraries for her accounts of battle, hospitals, bravery and medical advances in what was supposed to be the war to end all wars. You get such an accurate picture of the what war was like and what it was like to fight, be injured, give solice and comfort to the wounded it was better than tomes of dense history books.
Very readable and compelling.
A must read for readers of war history, readers of cultural studies, womens studies.
The author plumbed the depths of letters and diaries cherished by families, in museums, and libraries for her accounts of battle, hospitals, bravery and medical advances in what was supposed to be the war to end all wars. You get such an accurate picture of the what war was like and what it was like to fight, be injured, give solice and comfort to the wounded it was better than tomes of dense history books.
Very readable and compelling.
A must read for readers of war history, readers of cultural studies, womens studies.
October 15, 2023
Like all of McDonald’s books this is a narrative history structured around the accounts of those who were there. The nursing and medical aspects of the war have often had scant focus in the histories (though contemporary historians are addressing this now), and so this provides an important insight into the complexity and humanity of the medicinal services as they adapted to copy with the scale of casualties.
Particularly interesting is the involvement of US units from the first weeks of the war and the evolution of voluntary and amateur services in support of the army. The book focuses exclusively on the western front in France and Flanders, the wider experience would also make for interesting reading.
Read as an entry level book to the medical service experience of the war.
Particularly interesting is the involvement of US units from the first weeks of the war and the evolution of voluntary and amateur services in support of the army. The book focuses exclusively on the western front in France and Flanders, the wider experience would also make for interesting reading.
Read as an entry level book to the medical service experience of the war.
July 28, 2009
Reread this 11/13. Macdonald has a felicitous way of combining a graceful, clear narrative with the letters, diaries, and recollections of the participants to tell one coherent, heart-breaking story.
In some ways, the nurses and doctors on the Western Front in WW I had much the worst job, for they shared the shelling, the cold, the mud, the heat, the futility, with the men on the line ... and theirs was always the worst, seeing only the human cost. This is a great book.
In some ways, the nurses and doctors on the Western Front in WW I had much the worst job, for they shared the shelling, the cold, the mud, the heat, the futility, with the men on the line ... and theirs was always the worst, seeing only the human cost. This is a great book.
December 13, 2012
The First World War seen through the eyes of the young women who enlisted as nurses and ambulance drivers, as well as the doctors and the men unfit for military service who volunteered in other capacities. Plenty of horror, heroism and humour, and some fascinating details from the early days of plastic surgery and blood transfusion.
It would have been nice to hear from the non-English-speaking participants as well, but the scope is already vast.
It would have been nice to hear from the non-English-speaking participants as well, but the scope is already vast.
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October 8, 20143.5 stars
November 10, 2019
I found this account of anglo-american nursing during WW I quite engaging. The author quite skillfully intercalates with restraint her own historical narrative between the voices of eyewitness participants and let their voices tell most of the tale. But it all flows very nicely so that overall it is a fully coherent narrative.
I would have liked more references to permit follow-up because some of the anecdotes are gripping, but that is a minor quibble. The account is limited to the western front, so we do not get a pcture of nursing and medical care in say Salonika or Africa, but so much of the WW I literature is Eurocentric that this is to be expected, although we do miss French, Italian, and German voices which might round out the picture. But one author can only do so much and Macdonald has rendered a beautiful, poignant account I will always remember.
I would have liked more references to permit follow-up because some of the anecdotes are gripping, but that is a minor quibble. The account is limited to the western front, so we do not get a pcture of nursing and medical care in say Salonika or Africa, but so much of the WW I literature is Eurocentric that this is to be expected, although we do miss French, Italian, and German voices which might round out the picture. But one author can only do so much and Macdonald has rendered a beautiful, poignant account I will always remember.
September 14, 2018
I found reading this book to be a bit tedious. The author makes very frequent use of letters and diaries that occupy nearly every page and sometimes continues for pages on end. I found this really annoying and to me this makes the narrative seem disjointed in a way. Although this may be a good source for what it was like on the medical end of WWI there are other books that are at least just as good if not better. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. I practically had to force myself to finish it. This is a book I cannot recommend.
February 5, 2021
A remarkable read. Well research and set out book. It is written in a chronological order and is both based on knowledge, interviews and diary/letter extracts.
Certainly an eye opener reading it.
It’s amazing how hard the VADs, sisters, medics and orderlies worked and with basic and primitive equipment.
This book covers from the mobilisation of the VADs in the UK to the repurpose of field hospitals to influenza wards.
It was nice to read something a bit different but still from the war and certainly showing how difficult the VADs and sisters had it.
Certainly an eye opener reading it.
It’s amazing how hard the VADs, sisters, medics and orderlies worked and with basic and primitive equipment.
This book covers from the mobilisation of the VADs in the UK to the repurpose of field hospitals to influenza wards.
It was nice to read something a bit different but still from the war and certainly showing how difficult the VADs and sisters had it.
March 11, 2021
Shining a bright light on a vital but not-nearly-often-enough-discussed part of the war effort, Macdonald produces an honest and intimate look into the lives of the young volunteer nurses who served during World War One. Macdonald serves as a modest master of ceremony, stringing together countless diary-entries of the women who faced the tediousness, horror and hopelessness firsthand.
It makes for an incredibly touching and gripping read, and "The Roses of No Man's Land" is without doubt one of the best books I've ever read about the Great War.
It makes for an incredibly touching and gripping read, and "The Roses of No Man's Land" is without doubt one of the best books I've ever read about the Great War.
December 8, 2025
This book describes World War 1 from the perspective of nurses and other medical support staff. The book tells a chronological story and uses many anecdotes from individuals. needless to say it's a heartbreaking and sometimes gruesome read that describes many terrible wounds and sad stories. I appreciate the book for the stories it has to tell as told by people that lived through the events. I would have liked to hear more about how the wounded are actually treated, the book is fairly high level in that regard. I would recommend this book to those interested in WWI history.
July 20, 2017
Fascinating read about a group of people & a society so ill equipped to deal with the horrors of war. In an era where life appeared almost cheap and a war where yards of ground cost hundreds, thousands or more lives there is a quiet dignity and care to do the best they can in the most appealing of situations. Hard hitting, yet humorous a collection of great stories, but occasionally a little hard to follow, a really good read.
November 30, 2021
Very good book, I have just done a re read. Well worth reading. The stories of the realities of nursing during 1st world war period. This time of reading I was particularly struck by the description of the first masks to compate being gas. (The masks that some people complain of wearing today are nothing). And then the stories of realities of the pandemic flu- shocking, compared to 2020 figures.
October 11, 2023
I listened to the audiobook
Such a good book. Filled with so much pain and suffering the men must have went through and the administration by the Roses. Brave men and brave women. Can only imagine the conditions they were dealing with. No antibiotics or pain killers can’t imagine what it was like. This book brought home the horrors of WW1 to me and I’m never going to forget. Well narrated… worth every penny and I will listen to others by this author.
Simply Excellent
Such a good book. Filled with so much pain and suffering the men must have went through and the administration by the Roses. Brave men and brave women. Can only imagine the conditions they were dealing with. No antibiotics or pain killers can’t imagine what it was like. This book brought home the horrors of WW1 to me and I’m never going to forget. Well narrated… worth every penny and I will listen to others by this author.
Simply Excellent
July 21, 2025
this is an aural history from the point of view of the nurses and other medical staff who tended the allied wounded in World War One, dealing with infection, terrible mutilation and disfigurement as well as all the hazards of the trenches. In that it's fascinating, particularly when talking about the rapid pace of medical technology driving the effort to return the cannon fodder to the front line (still happening today), if not horrifying in some places. Recommended
May 8, 2017
I really liked this book. I am very interested in WWI and WWII historical books - both non-fiction and novels. I took quite a long time to read this book because I wanted to absorb all of it and "re-live" the accounts presented by the doctors and nurses who lived it.
I will look into more of Lyn Macdonald's books.
I will look into more of Lyn Macdonald's books.
November 1, 2019
This book's strengths include the large volume of primary sources. I never thought of the war from a nurse's perspective.
This book might work more for someone writing a research paper rather than reading to gain insights about WWI.
This book might work more for someone writing a research paper rather than reading to gain insights about WWI.
November 13, 2019
Wonderful social history account of the horrors of WW1, through first-hand accounts of (mostly) nurses, doctors, and other medical staff. Also an incredible narrative of the entire war (British-centred). Definitely recommend.
May 27, 2021
If anyone is unaware of how horrific Ww1 was you need to read this. Lyn macdonald tells this history of heroism and sacrifice without getting the reader bogged down in politics. This should be compulsory reading for schools.
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